Sunday, February 19, 2023

Animal activists call for rodeo boycott

 


The annual Fiesta De Los Vaqueros opened this weekend. The iconic Tucson event is under fire from animal activists who say the tradition is animal abuse.

"Rodeo animals are forced to perform. They experience severe stress and fear," said Brittany Michelson, an animal welfare advocate with In Defense of Animals (IDEA).

Another activist, Gary Vella, said, "This is just putting them in the ring for kicks." Vella is with SPEAK, or Supporting and Promoting Ethics for the Animal Kingdom.

Animal welfare groups say animals, like this calf shown in a video from the 2019 Tucson Rodeo, are often injured during rodeo events.

"They are routinely shocked to cause them to buck and run out of the shoot," Michelson said electric prods can deliver up to 6000 volts of electricity. One brand even warns against using the prod on horses...more

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