Rodeo is an inherently cruel form of entertainment, disrespectful to the welfare of animals and contributing to the desensitisation of viewers to animal violence. Acts of such cruelty condition children to regard sentient animals simply as objects to be used and abused for entertainment.
We congratulate the Chinese Animal Protection organisations for their tireless campaign in opposition to the China Rodeo. Animals Asia have supported this campaign through our own letter writing to the authorities and organisers and generating opposition from 11 international NGOs as part of the Asia for Animals coalition.
There is still much more to do to prevent the Rodeo event being re-scheduled for the Spring of 2012, and we will continue to provide support to the Chinese Animal Protection organisations to oppose any re-scheduling. The US organisers underestimated the strength of opposition to animal cruelty from within China by seeking approval for this event, if a new date is arranged the level of opposition both within China and internationally will be even stronger.
AFA coalition members believe rodeos are a cruel form of entertainment and do not wish to see them being promoted within China. An American vet with 30 years experience said: “I saw bulls and calves being sent to the meat manufacture after with them all being badly injured over their bodies. They were bruised all over, some animals had 6 or 8 ribs broken, and the lungs of many of them were punctured through.”
Cowboys also like to lasso calves during their races. The calves run away quickly, sometimes reaching the speed of 30 miles per hour, with the cowboys lassoing them around the neck and causing them to flip over onto the ground. This usually instantly kills the calves, but sometimes they are even forced to die slowly in great pain. During the Rodeo, the horses are treated cruelly as well, with riders using whips to force the horse to jump high, which causes them to get scared and also badly injured.