July 18 , 2012
Apologists for cruelty never hesitate to try to turn reality on its head.
Newspaper The Australian recently reported that two companies have been found to be in violation of the animal welfare standards for Australia's hideously cruel live-export trade. Australia's Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Joe Ludwig, insists that the regulatory system is working, despite the fact that it was animal activists who documented cruelty – not those responsible for government or industry oversight!
Stories like this serve as a reminder of how much still needs to be done for the millions of sheep who will be packed onto filthy, crowded ships for weeks at a time and sent to slaughter in Africa or the Middle East. Will you strengthen PETA's work to stop the suffering of these and all animals by making a gift online right now?
Joe Ludwig's absurd contention is par for the course among Australian government officials who consistently defend many of the sheep and wool industry's worst abuses, such as the practice of mulesing sheep. Indeed, Australian companies almost seem to have been given a pass for cruelty. One of the two companies that was found to be in violation of the new standards I mentioned above had previous violations. That company – International Livestock Export – was involved with the Cormo Express, a ship on which 5,691 sheep died after it was refused entry to ports in the Middle East.
Live export is an undeniably cruel trade. When Australian farmers no longer consider the sheep on their farms to be a productive source of wool, the animals are often shipped overseas to abattoirs. Their journey from a farm to a bloody killing floor in Africa or the Middle East often involves weeks of confinement – from the truck on which they are transported for hours without food and water to the huge, multi-storied ships on which they are crowded by the thousands for a long voyage overseas. Some of these sheep will perish slowly from illnesses that are passed among the tightly packed animals. Others will starve to death, as they do not recognise the dry pellet food they are given on board or are unable to reach the troughs. Lambs unfortunate enough to have been born on these massive ships are sometimes trampled and killed by others they are confined with.
PETA and our international affiliates are leading the global effort to open the eyes – and hearts – of consumers and regulators around the world to the intense misery of animals condemned to the live-export trade. With your generous support today, we can expand our work for sheep and other animals who are so horribly abused by industries like live export.
When PETA Australia shared evidence of cruelty and concerns over live export with Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig, he refused to take action. That's why we're doing all we can to ensure that the wool industry and the officials who are protecting its horrific practices know that the wholesale cruelty I've described here cannot continue. Whether we're pressuring decision makers, liaising with retailers and designers, building awareness through publicity and demonstrations or exposing the horrors of wool production that the industry tries so hard to hide – we're doing all that we can to help sheep and tackle this issue from every angle.
Your gift right now will allow us to continue exposing the horrors of the wool industry and the live export of sheep and to organise attention-grabbing demonstrations that raise awareness and put pressure on decision makers to make changes that affect all animals.
Thank you for everything you do to help end cruelty to animals.
Kind regards,
Ingrid E Newkirk
Founder
PS Stopping live export can help stop the suffering of millions of sheep every year. Please help us end the live-export trade's "free pass" for animal abuse and save more animal lives by making a secure gift online right now.
Jeu 19 Juil - 7:23