John,

A horrifying tragedy just unfolded at sea.

Nearly 2,900 cows, almost half of them pregnant, were trapped aboard a livestock carrier for almost two months. Dozens died in unimaginable pain.

This is not an accident – Europe is allowing this system that treats living beings as cargo. Now, we have a real chance of banning this cruelty!

Cyprus just took over the EU presidency, and its leaders have publicly committed to advancing stronger protections for animals during transport. But lawmakers won’t act unless we make them feel the heat.

If all of us chip in we could make this issue a key priority by exposing the horrors with hard-hitting investigations, running strategic ads to target key lawmakers, and supercharging people-powered campaigns across the EU and beyond to defend animals.

The UK and Australia have moved to ban live animal exports – with enough public pressure, we can force the EU to do the same.

Can you chip in to help end the cruelty?

I'll donate $3I'll donate $4 I'll donate $5I'll donate $9I'll donate another amount

Weeks after the livestock carrier left Uruguay, Turkish authorities refused the ship permission to dock over missing paperwork. For over a month, these animals were trapped on a ship of death, filth, and fear with nowhere safe to go. Finally, those who survived were unloaded in Libya. 

We CANNOT allow this to keep happening. In 2023, the European Commission promised to reform animal transport rules — limiting journey times, banning transport in extreme heat, and easing the suffering of animals on the move. But over two years later, that promise is stuck in the slow lane.

Britain banned live animal exports last year. The EU still hasn’t. And now politicians across the EU are quietly watering down or delaying social and environmental protections, including animal transport reform.

That’s where we come in. If enough of us chip in today, Ekō could launch a massive campaign push:

• Running hard-hitting investigations to expose the horrors happening at sea — then using the media firestorm that follows to demand action; 

• Placing strategic ads targeting key EU lawmakers, focusing especially on Cyprus as it takes over the EU presidency; 

• Running people-powered campaigns across Europe and beyond that turn public outrage into political cost.

This suffering is happening in plain sight. The question is whether leaders will be allowed to look away — or whether we make it politically impossible for them to do so.

Can you chip in right now to finally ban live exports – and end animal cruelty?

I'll donate $3I'll donate $4 I'll donate $5I'll donate $9I'll donate another amount

 

Your donation will help power Ekō and our campaigns worldwide fighting for people and the planet.