Cattle Keeping in Violation of Animal Welfare Standards

In mid-October, PETA filed complaints against 25 cattle farming operations from three federal states with the public prosecutor's offices in Landshut, Traunstein, Augsburg, Giessen, Ansbach, Ravensburg, and Rottweil — 22 of them based in Bavaria.

The farmers responsible are forcing cattle to endure an existence in so-called tethered housing: in this form of keeping, the animals are tied by chains or other devices around their necks and cannot even turn around, meaning they must sometimes remain in one spot for years at a time. Even on organic farms, this cruel practice is permitted throughout the long winter months, although the sensitive animals frequently suffer pain as a result — for example from inflamed joints or bruising around the neck. The animal rights organisation is now calling on the federal states and the federal government to ban tethered housing of cattle nationwide.

Consumers are presented with an idyllic image of “happy cows” and green meadows, while the reality is more reminiscent of confinement in medieval institutions. Captivity always involves physical and psychological suffering for cattle, regardless of the housing system — but in “tethered housing,” their needs are completely ignored.

Dr. Edmund Haferbeck, Head of PETA's Legal and Science Department

Federal Veterinary Chamber has been calling for an end to tethered housing for years

PETA points out that the Federal Veterinary Chamber called for a complete phasing out of this housing system as far back as 2015. A ruling by the Stade Administrative Court also reinforces this demand: as early as 2012, the court declared that “tethered housing” is incompatible with the species-appropriate keeping of so-called dairy cows. PETA nonetheless stresses that the suffering of cattle exploited in agricultural livestock farming is systemic in nature. Even in facilities such as “loose housing barns,” the animals’ natural needs are not met. The organisation therefore calls not only on policymakers, but also on consumers, to choose vegan products when shopping. More on Animal welfare issue in livestock farming and on the topic of Animal rights.

One million cows kept tethered in German stalls

Around one million cows in Germany are forced to spend their lives — sometimes temporarily, sometimes year-round — tied up in a stall. Particularly on small and medium-sized farms, farmers frequently restrain them around the neck using tethering devices for practical reasons, sometimes with fixed neck yokes as well. Movement on the chains is severely restricted, leaving the animals barely enough room to lie down. In some stalls, lying mats are completely absent, worn out, or the resting areas are simply too small for the animals. This species-inappropriate husbandry and extreme lack of movement cause immense psychological suffering in cattle. In addition, they frequently suffer from pressure sores, lameness, and chafing or bruising around the neck.