As Winter Storm Fern barrels across much of the U.S., bringing icy winds, blizzard conditions, and plunging temperatures, many of us are preparing by checking storm supplies, turning up the heat, and looking out for neighbors. But there’s a group that few people think about when winter hits: the farmed animals who may be stuck on the road in the storm’s path.
Right now, chickens, pigs, cows, and other farmed animals are being crammed into trailers and shipped to slaughter. They will be left to suffer grueling journeys with little to no protection from wind chill, freezing rain, and snow.
The Harsh Reality of Transport During Extreme Cold
In the U.S., animals are often forced to endure:
- Long, grueling rides in crowded trailers or stacked crates, with no food or water
- Exposure to brutal winter conditions, including snow, freezing rain, and below-freezing winds — conditions that can lead to hypothermia, injury, and even death inside transport trucks not built to protect them
Throughout the year, transport conditions are so horrific that some animals even die before reaching their destination. But during storms like Winter Storm Fern, this suffering is even more acute. What might already be a terrifying journey can become torture. Animals trapped in transport trailers sometimes actually freeze to the floors, sides, and crates they’re packed into.
Current Federal Protections Are Inadequate
The only existing federal law meant to help is the Twenty-Eight Hour Law, which requires animals to be given food, water, and rest only after 28 hours of continuous transport. But:
- There’s no documented evidence that the U.S. Department of Agriculture enforces this standard
- There’s no requirement to protect animals from extreme weather, meaning storms like Fern put animals at risk with no oversight
This is unacceptable, especially when we know that animals often die on the road before they reach their destination.
Help Protect Animals in Transport
Storm-driven emergencies like Fern expose just how serious this problem is. Shockingly few laws protect these animals during their grueling journeys. That’s why we’re calling on the U.S. government to do better for animals, and we need your help. The Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act is a bill that would increase accountability and help reduce unnecessary suffering for animals. This bipartisan bill would:
- Require the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to actively monitor transport conditions
- Strengthen accountability so protections actually happen and are enforced
- Help ensure animals aren’t left to endure brutal cold, heat, or storms without oversight
Among the most at-risk of extreme weather are the billions of farmed animals trapped within our food system, and they’re counting on us to take action.
