Transporting unfit animals — those too sick, injured, or weak to withstand the journey — causes significant preventable suffering and is a persistent problem in livestock transport welfare.
Transporting an unfit animal is a welfare decision with a clear right answer — they should not be transported. Yet economic pressures, unclear fitness thresholds, insufficient training, and inadequate enforcement mean that animals in poor condition regularly enter transport systems where their suffering is guaranteed. Late-stage pregnancy, severe lameness, open wounds, and extreme debility all predictably worsen during transport. On-farm emergency slaughter provides a welfare-superior alternative for animals that cannot travel humanely. Effective prevention requires clear, enforceable fitness standards, training for everyone involved in making fitness assessments, and practical access to on-farm slaughter alternatives.