Investigation Into the Long and Cruel Journey of Animals in Mexico

What you are looking at
may appear to be normal.
It's something you've likely
seen several times.
These are trucks transporting live animals
like cows, pigs and chickens.
They drive our roads every day.
But what do we know about them
outside of the moments
we pass them on the highway?
If you take a closer look,
you will find a story many don't know.
Stressed animals, overcrowded,
beaten, hungry and thirsty.
They travel long hours in extreme heat
and intense cold.
But who are these animals?
Where do they come from
and where are they going?
After a life of cruelty on a farm,
animals used for human consumption
end up at a slaughterhouse.
But first, they are forced
to endure a brutal journey
from farm to slaughter.
Animal Equality investigators in Mexico
follow this journey
to show just how inhumane
life transport can be.
Mexico transports millions of live animals
every year.
Their safety and comfort
is supposed to be guaranteed
by the Mexican Official Standard,
which set standards
to reduce the suffering
and stress of animals used for food.
However, what actually happens
during the transport of millions of cows,
pigs, chickens and
other animals completely violates
the protections put in place
by authorities.
As they are prepared for shipment,
workers force animals to move by
hitting and yelling.
Some workers
use metal objects to hit animals.
Some are hit violently in the head.
Injuries during loading
and transport are common.
The truck floors are dirty and slippery.
Many animals slip and fall
on their own feces during the journey.
The vehicles are overcrowded,
and animals step on each other's feet.
They bite the bars of the truck
and scream.
They are stressed and scared
in the overloaded trucks.
Their journey continues amid
excessive noise,
sudden movements,
hunger, thirst.
This causes tension, stress,
fatigue and injuries.
The trucks also do not have a roof
to protect the animals
from the sun, rain or hail.
The inadequate design
also means there is no ventilation
and the animals suffocate.
How long are animals forced
to endure these conditions
during transport?
In Mexico, routes go from one end
of the country to the other.
They are long distance trips,
and many animals die
before even reaching
the slaughterhouse.
When it is time to unload
from the vehicles,
workers kick injured and
tired animals out.
There's not a ramp to climb down,
so even injured animals
are forced to jump down,
hurting themselves again.
From the moment they are transported
until the moment they arrive,
the animals are under immense stress.
This cruelty is happening around the world
as nearly 160 million pigs,
lambs, cows, and other animals
are transported to slaughterhouses every day.
In the United States, animals are granted
only one protection during transport.
Trucks are required to stop every 28 hours
to relieve the animals.
But this regulation is rarely enforced.
Nearly 5 million chickens, cows and pigs
arrive dead to the slaughterhouse
due to the extreme conditions
during transport.
What is the reason for this cruel journey
full of discomfort and suffering?
The consumption of meat, dairy
and other animal products.
We know animals feel and avoid pain.
They want to live.
The way the meat industry raises, transports
and kills these animals
prioritizes profits over lives.
These living, breathing
animals are simply seen as a product,
forgetting that they are individuals
with emotions of their own.
Choose compassion
and go vegan for the animals today.
You can eliminate this suffering
from your diet
by leaving animals off your plate.