AN animal rights group has called for rodeos to be banned after an injured bull was kicked in the head by a stockman during a Tasmanian bull ride. Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania said the cruelty of such events was demonstrated in amateur footage screened on Southern Cross Television showing a bull that could not stand on its hind legs being kicked in an apparent attempt to make it walk onto a truck.
The incident occurred on January 14, 2006 at the Carrick Bull Ride, when a bull went down with a spinal injury after its rider came off. Dragging its hind legs, the bull made it out of the arena into a holding pen, where it remained for some time before being loaded onto a stock transport truck. Organiser Mick Wyllie was reported as saying staff did not want to euthanase the animal in public.
Mr Wyllie said the person who kicked the bull would be disciplined, but added that in his view guidelines were followed and animals were treated with respect. The RSPCA is investigating the incident, which witness Carole Howell described as "horrific". "It looked like he was trying to get it to stand up so they could load it onto the truck," Mrs Howell said. "It was hideous -- some men were even laughing out loud."
She said the bull should have been shot in the arena and not allowed to suffer. "I have a firearms licence and if someone had given me a gun I would have shot it myself, and I reckon 98 per cent of the people there would have done the same," Mrs Howell said.
It is understood a veterinarian was not present at the time but was called to assess the animal before it was taken away.
Primary Industries Minister Steve Kons has hinted that a current Animal Welfare Act review may see a Rodeo Standard developed. Although governed by animal welfare legislation, rodeos are self-regulating, operating under the Australian Professional Rodeo Association's voluntary code of conduct which was incorporated into South Australian legislation 10 years ago.
Mr Kons said a number of submissions regarding rodeos had been made to the review and charges might be laid if there was a case of cruelty toward the bull. Case UpdatesA north-west Tasmanian man has been found guilty of animal cruelty charges relating to an incident involving a bull at the Carrick rodeo last year. Michael Wyllie from Gunns Plains was found guilty of using an unsatisfactory method of management over the treatment of a bull in January 2006.
Magistrate Zigmunt Szramka said moving the bull onto the truck wasn't reasonable and was likely to cause pain. But he said as the on-call vet couldn't be contacted, Wyllie had to make a quick decision. Magistrate Szramka found Wyllie guilty, but didn't record a conviction. He ordered that Wyllie must not record an offence under the Animal Welfare Act in the next year.
Three other people charged over the incident - Colin and Debbie Barratt from Carrick and Tony Wyllie of Gunns Plains - had their charges dismissed. | Source: ABC News - May 14, 2007
Update posted on Aug 16, 2007 - 9:47AM |
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