Voordierenblogger: Animal welfare 'Eyes On Animals' 34 degrees in the shade at a Dutch slaughterhouse pigs in a truck in total panic gasping for fresh air

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Panic in a sweltering truck.

We are standing under a large canopy at a Dutch pig slaughterhouse. Outside, it is about 34 degrees in the shade. Legally, transport is still permitted at this temperature.

A truck with pigs drives onto the premises.

In the truck, I see pigs in total panic. They are literally trying to get out of the truck, but have nowhere to go.

One of the pigs has injuries to her face. She may have fought her way to the side of the truck. Desperately, she sticks her nose through the opening of the truck, looking for fresh air. Many other pigs are doing the same.

A pig tries to escape the scorching heat in a livestock truck.

I try to stay calm, because no pig benefits from my anger or sadness. But the driver sees that I am worried.

' I can open the roof ,' he says, as he opens the window of his cab.

' Yes ,' I reply. ' Go ahead and open everything. '

Together with my colleague Lara, I retrieve a large fan and we place it in front of the compartments with the most heat stress. Almost immediately, we see the pigs calm down a little.

I am so glad that these fans were purchased on our advice.

I am installing large fans that were purchased on our advice – the overheated pigs are sticking their noses out to catch as much wind as possible.

In the meantime, I call the owner of the slaughterhouse and ask him to give the truck priority during unloading. He gets to work on it immediately. Not much later, the truck drives to the unloading platform.

Good cooperation makes a difference for the animals.
At moments like these, I realize how special and important our cooperation with the sector is. The owner of the slaughterhouse takes our request seriously immediately. The drivers are also friendly and helpful. I sincerely believe that most of them want to do the right thing.

I am also enormously grateful for the many steps we have taken together with the sector. About ten years ago, slaughterhouses had hardly any facilities to protect animals from heat stress. Trucks stood waiting in the full sun.

By now, virtually all slaughterhouses have canopies that provide shade, misting systems, and large fans. That makes a huge difference for countless animals on every hot day.

At the same time, I am overcome by a sense of despondency.

Long waiting times remain a recurring annual problem
. For years, we have been calling attention to the long waiting times at slaughterhouses within the sector, the NVWA, and also through the media. They cause a great deal of animal suffering and are, moreover, in violation of the law.

This year, the problem seems bigger than ever. Because transport above 35 degrees is prohibited, many animals are brought to the slaughterhouse early in the day, before this maximum temperature is reached. But not all these animals can be unloaded at the same time: there are insufficient unloading platforms and the holding pens are not large enough. The consequence: animals have to wait even longer in sweltering trucks.

More than 15 trucks, loaded with pigs, are waiting their turn.

The slaughterhouse has promised to contact us during the next heatwave. We want fewer trucks to arrive per hour so that waiting times decrease, for more portable fans to be purchased, and for an animal welfare officer to be permanently present on hot days to monitor the welfare of waiting pigs.

Perseverance pays off: stricter rules from 2027.
Together with the Dutch Animal Protection Society, we have fought for years for a reduction in the maximum transport temperature – we wrote many reports, published images, and alerted politicians. With success.

From 2027, animals may no longer be transported at temperatures above 30 degrees, whereas the limit is currently 35 degrees. EenVandaag devoted extensive coverage to this and made use of our inspection footage.

Of course, 30°C is still far too hot for pigs. But we are certain that this measure will prevent a great deal of suffering. It shows that perseverance pays off.

We need to have a long-term perspective for structural changes.

That is why we are continuing. With our heat stress inspections, the many conversations with the sector and the NVWA about the long waiting times, and by providing direct assistance at moments like these, when we can really make a difference for pigs in need.