Oud-Alblas · Cows
A family-owned livestock trading company that presents itself as reliable, but where Ongehoord filmed prolonged abuse of sick cows with stun guns. It works closely with livestock transporter Vandommelen.
De Keizer Vee lists on its website the purchase and sale of calves and cows for dairy or meat production, both breeding and slaughter animals. The company is Skal-certified and counts many organic livestock farms among its customers. In addition to transport within the Netherlands, De Keizer Vee also exports cows to Kuwait, Russia, and Ethiopia. During the four days filmed by Ongehoord, mainly cows that had been milked out were present. Since no NVWA inspections were carried out, we know the animals were destined for Dutch slaughterhouses (NVWA inspections at collection points only occur upon the departure of export animals).
De Keizer Vee presents itself on its website as a reliable family business with years of experience and expertise. According to the website, director Niek de Keizer "instilled a love for animals from a young age." In the footage filmed by Ongehoord, Niek repeatedly abuses a seriously ill cow with a stun gun.
The website and the company film reveal that De Keizer Vee works closely with livestock transporter Vandommelen from Woerden. A 2023 report requested by Ongehoord last year revealed that the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) observed lame cattle or other serious health problems almost weekly during export inspections at Vandommelen. Ongehoord also requested information about De Keizer Vee at the time, but the NVWA was unable to provide a single inspection report for the entire year 2023. The NVWA is also conspicuously absent from the recent footage shot by Ongehoord.
According to Niek De Keizer, it's not the cows, but the farmers in the Netherlands who are being targeted harshly. That's why he participated in the infamous tractor demonstrations in The Hague, where Geert Wilders praised farmers for their enormous exports and encouraged them to continue resisting nitrogen regulations.
De Keizer Vee considers "transparency in their actions" an important core value of the company. Ongehoord is happy to contribute to this by publishing the footage.
A cow that can no longer stand up. The cattle trader kicks her, yanks at her legs, and delivers more than forty electric shocks. When that has no effect, the cow, fully conscious, is dragged away with a shovel. Using hidden cameras, Ongehoord documented the loading and unloading of cows at five locations in the Netherlands. At these facilities, mother cows and their calves are kicked, beaten with sticks, or driven forward with electric shock devices.