Animal
rights group releases covertly filmed video it says shows abuse in shearing
sheds across three states in Australia
WARNING:
This video contains graphic images of animal abuse
The RSPCA
has launched an investigation into footage that allegedly shows the severe
abuse of sheep in numerous Australian shearing sheds.
The animal
rights group Peta has released video it says was taken covertly in 19 shearing
sheds in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
The footage
shows sheep being roughly handled, punched in the face and stamped upon. One
sheep was beaten with a hammer while another was shown having a deep cut
crudely sewn up.
Peta said
its investigators obtained had the images after gaining employment with farms
and shearing contractors over the past year.
Claire
Fryer, a campaign coordinator at Peta Australia, declined to tell Guardian
Australia the exact location of the shearing sheds, citing concerns about the
safety of the whistleblowers.
“I can say,
though, that abuse was witnessed in each of the 19 shearing sheds and that a
total of 70 staff were documented abusing sheep,” she said.
“We didn’t
see any vet care for any of the sheep and despite, them putting up no
resistance, they were horribly abused. Sheep are very gentle animals and this
was terrifying for them.
“Shearers
are unusually paid by volume, not by the hour, which encourages fast, rough
work which cuts the bodies of sheep. Put simply, there is no such thing as
humane wool. We’d urge Australians to leave wool out of their wardrobes
entirely.”
A
spokeswoman for the RSPCA confirmed it was investigating whether the video
shows breaches of animal welfare laws, but would not put a timeframe on these
deliberations.
“The vision
made publicly available by Peta overnight shows sheep being beaten with
shearing handpieces and thrown down a chute,” the RSPCA said.
“The
allegations are serious and will be investigated by RSPCA inspectors as
information comes to hand for potential breaches of the relevant state animal
welfare legislation.”
Penalties
for breaching animal welfare laws vary by state. For example, in NSW, the
maximum penalty is a fine of $22,000 or five years in prison.
Barnaby
Joyce, the federal agriculture minister, said questions needed to be asked
about the way Peta obtained the footage and why it held on to it for so long
before releasing it.
"One
of the questions I ask is with the up-close shot of the man hitting the sheep,
which is obviously exceptional and cruel and in many instances would be
immediate dismissal, where exactly was the camera?" Joyce told the ABC.
"Did
the person know that they were filmed? Were they actually part of process?
There are lots of questions that need to be asked."
WoolProducers,
the peak body for the wool industry in Australia, has been contacted for
comment on the footage.
The
Victorian government recently pledged to introduce new "ag gag" laws,
which would crack down on the ability of animal rights activists to covertly
film alleged abuses on farms.
Producers
of eggs and pork have called for stricter penalties for people who obtain
access to farms in order to film activity there. Andrew Spencer, chief
executive of Australian Pork Limited, told the ABC in May that intrusions had
been "very distressing" for farmers. He added: "It's like having
your house burgled."
The Greens
criticised Joyce, who recently indicated his own support for a form of “ag gag”
law.
“Mr Joyce’s
attack on Peta is a crude attempt to avoid cleaning up farming practices,” said
the Greens senator Lee Rhiannon.
“He wants
to punish people who expose cruelty to animals with harsher penalties than to
those who actually commit the violence.
“Undercover
investigators play an important role as exposure of animal cruelty helps
highlight the need for improved farming practices."
Related Article:
Warning: do
NOT watch the video if you are of a delicate nature
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