Dear Supporters
The calf in this photo is terrified and running for his life.
Cattle are peaceful herd animals, yet everything about rodeos is designed to make them fearful so they will react to provide entertainment for people. The tight flank straps, spurs, electric prods, noise - all these things are designed to provoke fear and unnatural behaviours.
This is not what goes on on farms. Graziers do not rope calves, ride bulls or wrestle steers. The cruelty of rodeos is purely about human entertainment, with no consideration given for the severe stress and serious injury and death risk for the animals.
My petition to the NSW Parliament is now closed, but you can help keep up the pressure on politicians to end rodeo cruelty by signing and sharing this petition. I have been promised a meeting with the responsible NSW Minister, the Hon. Tara Moriarty MLC, so the more people who sign this petition, the stronger the message will be that rodeos are UNACCEPTABLE CRUELTY in the 21st century.
Rodeos are exempt from key provisions of the NSW Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979. They operate under a 35-year-old Code of Practice which has never been updated. As if that were not bad enough, there is no framework for monitoring adherence to the Code, no requirement to have a vet present at events, and no requirement to report deaths and injuries.
Minister Moriarty has undertaken to review the animal welfare laws in NSW. That is why it is important to speak up now, at a time when there is the potential for change to this disgraceful treatment of animals.
Please sign and share this petition, and speak up for the voiceless at every opportunity.
Thank you for your help and support, and thanks to Animal Liberation NSW for the above photo, taken this year at the Moruya Rodeo, where a steer was seriously injured.