Access to water and rest during long animal transport journeys is inadequate under current regulations, causing preventable suffering.
Long-distance animal transport without adequate rest, water, and space is a preventable welfare failure that affects millions of animals annually. Dehydration and physical exhaustion accumulate over multi-day transports, with welfare conditions deteriorating progressively. The economic drivers of long-distance live animal transport — arbitrage between production costs and market prices across regions — create strong incentives to minimize journey time and costs at the expense of animal welfare. Shorter journey times, mandatory watering systems, and improved vehicle design are achievable improvements.