Dear Supporters

The New South Wales Minister responsible for animal welfare, Tara Moriarty MLC, has introduced new legislation into Parliament to update the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 and the regulation that sits under it.  Not only is this long-awaited "update" a huge disappointment overall, but it also does NOTHING to change the cruelty that takes place in rodeos.

While the activities of rodeos are defined as cruel and thus prohibited under the Act, the changes introduced by the Minister maintain an EXEMPTION FROM PROSECUTION for rodeo operators.   

Not a single change has been proposed to improve the lives of rodeo animals, so these horses and cattle, including babies, will continue to be injured and die for human entertainment, and the public still will not be allowed to know how many casualties this cruel industry inflicts.

The 38-year-old Code of Practice for Animals Used in Rodeo Events remains in place, unaltered since its inception, meaning that, among a host of other appalling practices, rodeo operators do not even need to have a vet present at their events.

The Minister has indicated she is open to updating the Code of Practice, so we can only hope that she will attend to this matter soon, and use that opportunity to introduce some 21st century humanity into the code that governs rodeos.  

The spectacle of peaceful herd animals being tormented by people dressed up as cowboys never fails to remind me of the horrors which took place in ancient Rome's Colosseum, and how two thousand years of human progress has not erased the practice of terrifying animals for so-called sport and entertainment.

Please continue to share my petition calling for changes to rodeos, and take this opportunity to let Minister Moriarty know that:

• You are very disappointed that the legislative changes she has introduced do nothing to help rodeo animals; and
• You demand a serious update of the Code of Practice for Animals Used in Rodeos to require:
  • regular and public reporting of deaths and injuries
  • a veterinarian present at every event
  • an end to calf roping; and
  • a ban on the use of electric prods.

You can contact the Minister here:  "tara.moriarty@parliament.nsw.gov.au" .

Thank you on behalf of the animals, and thanks to the tireless workers at Animal Liberation for the sad photo above.