Criminal proceedings were already underway against a sheep farmer in South Holland. The farm was also already under increased supervision and had previously been issued with an administrative order. Nevertheless, the NVWA did not intervene until 2 March 2026, when it took 85 sheep into custody, at a time when inspectors had already found five severely emaciated and filthy sheep without feed, whilst a largely pregnant flock was grazing in the field, some of which were seriously lame. An NVWA vet also spotted a sick sheep in need of immediate care. This inevitably raises the question: how long is it still justifiable to wait when animal welfare is already visibly failing?
The primary responsibility lies with the keeper. Anyone who keeps animals must feed them, care for them and treat them promptly. If animals become severely emaciated, are filthy, are lame or are even left without food, the limits of basic animal care have been exceeded.
But that’s not the end of the story.
Because if a company is already under increased scrutiny, has already been issued with an administrative order and is even facing criminal proceedings, one question remains: why did it have to come to this?
The NVWA itself has already shown that, among livestock farms under enhanced supervision, as many as 68 per cent of re-inspections in 2024 were not approved. That speaks volumes. Enhanced supervision therefore primarily means that a farm is identified as high-risk. It does not mean that the situation is already under control.
That makes this case all the more distressing. The system only intervenes once the situation has already got out of hand and the animals are visibly suffering.
Other media outlets picked up the story, but mostly stuck closely to the NVWA’s statement. As a result, the crux of the matter has been lost. Not only what this operator did wrong, but above all why the intervention came so late. It is precisely that question that should be of interest to the industry.
