Last year, after a bull had to be put down at a
South Australia rodeo, animal activists demanded change. The tragedy was caught on film.
In the video, the bull can be seen landing awkwardly from a buck. It then twists, snaps its leg, and hobbles off in pain. It was put down shortly afterward.
Now, in another Australian state, more needless deaths have taken place at a rodeo. This time at Australia's largest — the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo in Queensland.
A steer and horse both died because they were used as tools in a sport that treats animals as if they were expendable. Part of what makes this rodeo so pproblematic is the fact that
it's actually sponsored by the state. That means the Queensland government is actively complicit in the cruelty that takes place at the event every year. It's time the state pull its sponsorship and cancel the rodeo. In response to the bull's death last year the Professional Bull Riders Association of Australia claimed that these accidents were rare, that since it was founded, no less than three bulls have had to be put down. But now that tally has grown.
It's time Queensland asked itself if the death of an innocent animal is worth a few seconds of "entertainment." We hope the answer is no, what about you? Join the call, sign the petition and ask the government of Queensland to stop sponsoring animal cruelty and to cancel the rodeo altogether.
Photo credit: Farm Watch
