The new Victorian Animal Care and Protection Act wants to recognise all animals as sentient beings. Except racehorses won’t be given the same rights to freedom and protection from cruelty as horses outside the racing industry.
On March 25th 2024, the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses made their second submission to the proposed new Animal Care and Protection Bill in Victoria. We were horrified to learn that the “Approved Industry Arrangements” is still an element in the new law that is supposed to bring animal protection up to modern, global standards.
“Approved Industry arrangements” undermines the entire purpose of a new Animal Care and Protection Bill. It allows approved industries to self-regulate not only what they consider appropriate care of their animals but also what they consider cruel treatment of the animals – and not.
In other words, different standards of care and ethics will apply to animals that are biologically the same. For example, the new Act will mean that beating a pet horse is an act of cruelty, but it will be ok to whip a racehorse in every race. While pet horses will be protected against permanent confinement, racehorses will not be afforded that same protection.
It is inconsistent for the Bill to acknowledge animal sentience, to claim it is providing a legal basis for animal welfare, and to then legalise cruel treatment of some animals, because they live in industries that use cruelty as their basic business model.
CPR believes that all animals within a species should be given equal treatment, regardless of the uses to which they are put by humans. It is hypocrisy to claim that horses who are born into the racing industry are less deserving of the basic care and protection that the new Bill is aiming to provide for any other horse in Victoria.
The racing industry has demonstrated multiple times, that it fails to act in the best interests of horse welfare. Acts of cruelty on the racetrack, can be seen on television almost every day – horses being whipped, breaking down, distressed, injured, collapsing during and after races.
The Racing Act is not an animal welfare act – it was designed to establish the racing and gambling industry. Combined with the self-regulation of the industry through the Australian and Local Rules of Racing, the racing industry has been once again, handed a virtual carte blanche when it comes to their treatment of racehorses.
If we are going to consider a bill recognising animals as sentient, it is inconsistent and in fact unethical to exclude certain animals simply out of human convenience. Animals are either sentient, or they are not.
Despite the obvious ramifications for industries such as horseracing, if we are to evolve as a society, we must consider all animals as being equal regardless of their species and the human purpose they serve.
Read CPRs full submission: CPR 2024 Submission to the Victorian Animal Care and Protection Bill
The racing industry has demonstrated multiple times, that it fails to act in the best interests of horse welfare. Acts of cruelty on the racetrack, can be seen on television almost every day – horses being whipped, breaking down, distressed, injured, collapsing during and after races.
The Racing Act is not an animal welfare act – it was designed to establish the racing and gambling industry. Combined with the self-regulation of the industry through the Australian and Local Rules of Racing, the racing industry has been once again, handed a virtual carte blanche when it comes to their treatment of racehorses.
Animals within a species should be given equal treatment, regardless of the uses to which they are put by humans. It is hypocrisy to claim that horses who are born into the racing industry are less deserving of the basic care and protection that the new Bill is aiming to provide for any other horse in Victoria.