“Why don’t you eat lamb? It’s tradition!”, “If we don’t eat them, they’ll die anyway”: these are just some of the phrases with which people try to justify the consumption of lamb. But no, it is not a simple food. Behind one of the most “untouchable” dishes of the Easter tradition (and not only) lies an inhuman reality, which begins shortly after the birth of the puppies, torn from their mothers to be raised. But one of the phases that causes the most suffering to these animals is that of transport to the slaughterhouse.
Dozens of lambs are crammed into trucks, often with broken legs, stuck between metal grates, without water or the possibility of moving. An interminable journey of suffering that crosses Europe and reaches our tables. This is what is once again documented by the investigations ofessereanimali together with the Animal Welfare Foundation, which for the sixth consecutive year monitored the transport of sheep coming from abroad and headed to the large slaughterhouses in Tuscany, Abruzzo, Lazio and Puglia, in view of the Easter holidays.
The images and testimonies collected along the Italian highways tell a very different story from the one evoked by those who defend this tradition.
Hellish journeys, systemic suffering
The monitoring activities of È Animali and Animal Welfare Foundation were concentrated in Liguria, on the Ventimiglia border, a key hub for trucks coming from France and Spain. A significant portion of the lambs imported into Italy come from these two countries: over 136 thousand in 2025, out of approximately 510 thousand heads in total coming from the European Union. Their journeys can even exceed 24 hours.
And these are not isolated numbers. According to Eurostat data, between March and April last year – in the period immediately preceding Easter – Italy imported over 153 thousand lambs. At the same time, slaughters increased: from 1.53 million in 2024 to 1.65 million in 2025.
Lambs piled on trucks and without water
Between March 23 and 28, activists traveled 2,700 kilometers checking five trucks. Two of these were reported to the authorities and subjected to verification in the provinces of Imperia and Savona.
Unfortunately, despite pressure from citizens and animal rights associations, the situation does not change. The critical issues encountered are always the same, year after year:
In other words: conditions that are structurally incompatible with animal welfare.
The most serious case: sheep with broken legs
Among the documented cases, one in particular is striking for its severity. A truck headed to a slaughterhouse in the province of Pescara was carrying around 300 sheep from France. At least four specimens had fractured limbs and were stuck between the side wall and the floor of the trailer, probably for hours.
After the report, the vehicle was stopped on the A10 near Savona, but things did not go as hoped.
The veterinary check was limited to a quick observation of the animals on the first level of the truck and completely ignored the state of health of the sheep stuck on the third level. – the activists ofessereanimali report – The legislation requires that injured animals be unloaded in the nearest control stable, thus avoiding exposing them to further suffering. Despite this, the vet allowed the truck to continue its journey to the slaughterhouse, even though the inspection stable was just along the route, subjecting the most vulnerable animals to at least another 10 hours of transport. The only action taken by the competent authority was the drafting of a “pending” report, with which it reserved the right to confirm any sanctions after the analysis of the report and images by a team of veterinarians.
Old rules and insufficient controls
The problem of transporting lambs (but not only) is not new at all. The European regulation governing the transport of live animals – Regulation (EC) no. 1/2005 – has been considered inadequate for years. Regulatory gaps create a gray area that makes it difficult to intervene even when violations are evident.
Yet the scientific indications are there. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has made it clear that it is necessary to:
According to a survey commissioned by Eurogroup for Animals,essereanimali and LAV, 90% of Italians are concerned about the welfare of animals during transport: the highest figure in Europe. Many find long journeys unacceptable, regardless of conditions, and would be willing to spend more to ensure better standards.
While the European Parliament and Member States have not yet approved the new legislation on the transport of live animals, Being Animals continues to document the cruel transport of lambs in Europe, of which Italy is one of the main destinations. – underlines Chiara Caprio, institutional relations manager ofessereanimali. – The images we have collected in recent years show sentient beings treated like goods and forced to undertake very long journeys that expose them to terrible suffering. From 2023 the European Commission has proposed a revision, not perfect, but certainly with some positive elements, especially for the abandonment of the transport of live animals as a practice, yet some political forces in the European Parliament continue to keep it blocked without any significant progress. This is unacceptable and subjects millions of animals to unnecessary and unspeakable suffering, often hidden from the eyes of consumers.”
Easter, a symbol of rebirth and life, thus continues to rest on a profound contradiction: millions of animals face exhausting journeys, often illegal, to end up in Italian slaughterhouses, places of death. Lambs have no choice, you do. And by giving up this custom you can help stop the massacre.
