US welfare group to improve livestock transport standards

American Humane Certified (AHC), an animal welfare group, plans to assemble a panel of experts to develop improved welfare standards for design, technology and monitoring of livestock transportation.

US livestock transportation equipment that meet these standards will be recognised with the American Humane Gold Award.

AHC will begin monitoring the research and testing of a new humanely designed trailer, which was introduced at the recently held World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa.

Certifying transportation equipment is a reintroduction of AHC's historic "Gold Award" for humanely-designed transportation equipment. It was first awarded in 1887 to the A.C. Mather Co. for its improved cattle rail car. Throughout the decades, AHC has worked closely with the livestock and transportation industries to develop humane methods and equipment that improve animal welfare during transport.

After completion of the livestock transportation standards and in-depth review by the American Humane Certified Scientific Advisory Committee, the standards will be publicly available on AHC's website.