Rodeo Cruelty Kendal Brooks

How are rodeos cruel? I could ask anyone if it was wrong to clothesline a baby animal, body slam it to the ground, tie its legs so it can’t move, and drag it by the neck and their answer would be yes But this is what is happening, it's called calf roping, and supporters claim it’s a sport

Rules of the PRCA The PRCA is the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, which is the association that sanctions Rodeos all over North America A veterinarian must be on site at all PRCA sanctioned rodeos All animals are inspected and evaluated for illness, weight and eyesight, and no animals that are sore lame, sick or injured are allowed to participate in the event Acceptable spurs must be dull Standard electric prods may be used only when necessary The use of prods and similar devices is prohibited in the riding events unless the animal is stalled in the chute

VHS VHS (Vancouver humane society) The VHS is opposed to rodeos because they believe that most rodeo events involve the use of fear, stress or pain to make animals perform In Canada, the City of Vancouver and the district of north Vancouver have banned rodeos Rodeos have also been banned in the U.K., Holland, and several other U.S. jurisdictions.

Changing public attitudes Rodeo events aren't covered by Canadian animal cruelty laws because they are considered “generally accepted practices of animal management” for treating livestock. The arguments and evidence against rodeos rest on a simple premise: that rodeo is cruel to animals because it unnecessarily subjects them to pain, fear and stress and the risk of injury or death for the purpose of human entertainment

Why are rodeos inhumane? It becomes obvious that rodeo animals are exploited to pain, fear and stress when one asks a question like: Why would a calf or bull charge at full speed out of a chute into an arena full of people? A: they are kicked, have their tails twisted or are even given electric shocks What makes rodeo horses and bulls buck? A: a device called a flank strap is tied around the animals hindquartes, causing irritation and stress until the strap is released

Injuries and deaths Rodeo animals are injured or killed regularly in rodeos It should also be noted that many painful injuries go unnoticed and unrecorded because internal bruising and bleeding are difficult to see

1986 12 (twelve) chuckwagon horses 1987 1 steer (broken leg) euthanized 1 calf broken leg) euthanized 1 chuckwagon horse - collapsed and died 1 chuckwagon horse, broken leg, euthanized) 1988 1 chuckwagon horse -broken leg euthanized 1989 2 calves - broken legs euthanized 1990 3 calves - broken legs euthanized 1 steer - broken leg euthanized 1 bucking horse euthanized 1 chuckwagon horse -broken leg euthanized 1991 no fatalities reported 1992 1 chuckwagon horse died 1993 no fatalities reported 1994 1 horse (novice bronc) broken hind leg euthanized 1995 1 chuckwagon horse -broken leg euthanized 1 horse (novice saddle bronc) head injury, euthanized 1 horse (novice bronc) front leg, euthanized 1996 4 chuckwagon horses killed, 1 down with a heart attack, 2 euthanized, 1 with broken neck and leg 1997 1 chuckwagon horse died 1 bull euthanized after breaking his leg   2005 9 horses killed in stampede on Bonnybrooke Bridge July 3 1 show horse, heart attack, July 8 1 calf, injured on July 8 1 chuckwagon horse, heart attack, July 15 2 chuckwagon horses (behind the scenes) 2006 2 chuckwagon horses (July 7) heart attack, broken leg 1 chuckwagon horse (July 13) broke two bones in its lower left front leg on Gary Gorst's team 2007 1 chuckwagon horse (Darcy Flad) euthanized 3 chuckwagon horses (Gary Gorst-July 14) 2008 1 chuckwagon horse (Reg Johnstone) euthanized (July 10) 2009 1 chuckwagon horse (Reg Johnstone) heart attack (July 5) 1 chuckwagon horse (Barry Hodgson) euthanized (July 7) 1 steer euthanized (July 9) 1 chuckwagon horse (Ray Mitsuing) heart attack (July 11) 2010 6 chuckwagon horses 2011 2 chuckwagon horses 2012 3 chuckwagon horses dead, 1 injured (lead dropped, others followed-outrider horse crashed into wagon at high speed) 2001 1 calf euthanized (broke right hind leg) in the calf roping event on July 8th 1 chuckwagon outrider horse euthanized July 15th (collapsed and broke right shoulder) 2002 1 chuckwagon outrider horse died of a heart attack on July 5 after running in heat 1 5 chuckwagon horses killed 1 calf euthanized (broken leg) in the calf roping event 2003 no fatalities reported 2004 1 horse (broken leg in wild ride event) 1998 no fatalities reported 1999 2 chuckwagon horses euthanized 2000 2 chuckwagon horses - 1 horse died of pulmonary aneurism; 1horse > euthanized (fractured front leg) 49% of these animals were euthanized, and 27% died of heart attacks or aneurisms

Law suit against California Rodeo ALDF (animal legal defence fund) has sued California Rodeo Salinas, the state’s largest rodeo, on behalf of Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK), an international non-profit organization that is dedicated to protecting animals from neglect, abuse, and cruelty. SHARK has documented a pattern of consistent and repeated underreporting of animal injuries at California Rodeo Salinas. Over a recent two-year period, for instance, SHARK documented ten times the number of injuries requiring veterinary treatment than the defendants reported. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGSxbfAdYo0

How rodeos should look In my opinion, the four most dangerous events should be banned Calf roping, steer wrestling, bull riding and bronc riding Rodeos wouldn’t be much without these events I feel its far more important that these animals don’t get tortured simply for human entertainment

bibliography “Rodeo Controvery”.SHARK. <sharkonline.org/index.php/animal-cruelty/1502> Rowe,Claudia.  “pros and cons of roping and riding” New york times <nytimes/2002/06/16/nyregion/pros-and-cons-of-rodeo-roping-and-riding> “rodeos” VHS vancouver humaine society <vancouverhumainesociety.bc.ca/campaign/rodeos>