Transporting livestock in hot weather causes heat stress, dehydration, and death in millions of animals annually. Improved regulations and practices can significantly reduce suffering.
Animals experiencing heat stress during transport suffer from elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle fatigue, and in severe cases, hyperthermia that causes organ failure and death. Pigs are particularly vulnerable because they cannot sweat and have limited thermoregulation. Transport in crowded conditions without adequate ventilation amplifies temperature effects. Injured and dead animals arriving at slaughterhouses represent the visible tip of a larger suffering iceberg.