 |
| For Immediate Release, Wednesday 28 April 2021 Melbourne Cup deaths are a reflection of a much greater issue Anthony Van Dyck is 1 in 120 per year As Racing Victoria releases stage one of its fatality report, focused on the 2020 Melbourne Cup death of Anthony Van Dyck, it is once again made apparent that their concern lays in public perception not concern for its horses. The introduction for new screening processes will only be for horses seeking to compete in the Spring Carnival, and only Melbourne Cup running horses will be required to undergo CT scans prior to the race. “Why do these new safety measures only apply to horses competing in the spring carnival and in particular the Melbourne Cup?” asks Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) Campaign Director Elio Celotto. “One horse is killed on Australain racetracks every three days. The measures Racing Victoria put in place to address the ongoing deaths at the Melbourne Cup, must be put in place for all horses, on all days, at all racetracks”. “Furthermore they would do away with the whips spurs and tongue ties that are designed to push a horse to beyond their physical limits” he said. “Anything less is further evidence that it is the industry’s image that is of sole concern here, as they grapple to maintain their social license.” But CT scans will not be enough to address deaths on the racetrack. “Racing Victoria and the Victorian government have funded studies into the leading cause of fatal catastrohic injuries to find bone fatigue as the leading cause, with Prof. Chris Whitton from the University of Melbourne stating this can only be addressed by racing horses less often and allowing them to take significantly longer spelling periods. Yet, the industry have no rules as to how often a horse can be raced and how long their rest periods must be”. More on that here. “Trainers can race a horse as often and as hard as they like, meaning the industry is knowingly placing horses at risk of death.” CPR is calling on all state juristrictions to implement the screening measures set for the Melbourne Cup runners to be exteneded to all horses, at all racetracks, along with limits on how often a horse can be raced and how long they must be spelled, as guided by the findings of the equine orthopedaedic research team at the University of Melbourne. ENDS For More information: horseracingkills.com |
|
| For Immediate Release, Thursday 15 April 2021 Dressed to Impress Protesters Call For An End to Horse Racing At The Championships What: Protest against Horse Racing When: Saturday 17 April – 10:30am – 1pm Where: Royal Randwick Racecourse Peaceful protestors dressed to impress will converge at Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse this weekend to oppose the Championships, the biggest race horsing event in the NSW autumn racing calendar. The event’s keynote speaker is Upper House MP for the Animal Justice Party, Mark Pearson, who in February introduced a bill to NSW Parliament that could ban the slaughter of racehorses, as well as the use of whips, tongue-ties, and spurs. “This depraved industry literally profits from the abuse and exploitation of its non-consenting victims, and we’re here to stand opposed to that,” Mr Pearson said ahead of the event. The protest is a joint event hosted by Animal Liberation, Sydney Animal Save, Animal Justice Party NSW, and the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, which recently published its 2020 report, Deathwatch. “In the 2019-2020 horse racing year, 116 horses died on Australian racetracks – that’s one horse every three days,” said spokesman for the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, Elio Celotto. “The tragic irony is that these horses are revered as champions and money-makers while being whipped, kicked, and constricted, only to be discarded as ‘wastage’ when no longer profitable and likely to be killed for pet food,” Mr Celotto said. The issue of ‘wastage’ is a key concern of horse racing protestors, and will be a topic addressed by speaker Mark Pearson at the event. Mr Pearson will also speak about his new bill, which if passed, would outlaw the slaughter of racehorses, ensure their mandatory rehoming, establish birth-to-death tracking, and ban whips, spurs, and tongue-ties. “My aim with this bill is to overhaul the industry, because that’s what needs to happen,” Mr Pearson said. “The so-called Sport of Kings is rife with unacceptably cruelty, and until the day comes when the industry loses its social license completely, the horses trapped within the industry need to be protected against the worst of its practices.” Facebook event link: https://fb.me/e/1FyQdZgZv CPR’s Ground-breaking Documentary ‘One Year On’: https://bit.ly/3uOVBmw |
|
| For Immediate Release, Saturday 3 April 2021 The Oakbank Carnival is no more – activists celebrate outside the gates What: Activists celebrate the end of the Oakbank Carnival When: Saturday 3 April 11am – 3pm Where: Oakbank Racecourse – Shillabeer Road entrance The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) and Animal Liberation South Australia (ALSA) supporters will be in attendance this Saturday at Oakbank but this time not just to demonstrate but to alsocelebrate. At midday, the demonstration will turn to celebration as bubbly (alcohol free) and cakes will be enjoyed at Oakbank. The only fun being had at Oakbank will be outside the fence. “It will be a very different type of demonstration this Saturday as we take the opportunity to celebrate a small but important victory” said Elio Celotto, Campaign Director for CPR “We’re excited that the Oakbank Carnival has finally been withdrawn from the South Australian Easter celebrations and that’s thanks to the people who once attended the carnival choosing to no longer support animal cruelty. That should send a strong message to South Australian Thoroughbred Racing that cruelty to animals will no longer be tolerated.” “Instead of propping up a sport that is not supported by the general public, it should be using that money to fund a retirement plan for racehorses who are likely to end up at the knackery or slaughterhouse.” For the last 12 years, both groups have attended the Oakbank Carnival calling for it to end, due to the inherent danger of jumps racing for the horses. In that time, at least six horses have been killed at the Oakbank Carnival, with another killed whilst being trialled for the event. Despite the great news that the Oakbank Carnival is no more, jumps racing continues in SA -for the moment. CPR and ALSA will continue to campaign for a ban of a sport and draw attention to a culture in horseracing that treats horses like disposable objects. ENDS For More information: horseracingkills.com |
|
| For Immediate Release, Monday 8 March 2021 Adelaide Animal Lovers Join Forces To Say Nup to the TAB Adelaide Cup CPR/ALSA/Canine Cup/Greens CPR/ALSA Protest When: Monday 8 March 11am Where: Morphettville Racecourse – main entrance on Anzac Hwy Canine Cup Event When: Monday 8 March 12 – 4pm Where: Plant 4, Bowden – 5 Third Street, Bowden SA Nup to the Cup is a growing national movement, and that includes the caring people of Adelaide and surrounds. “Every year we see more and more people turning away from the cruelty inherent to horse racing by saying Nup to the Cup” said Campaign Director for the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR), Elio Celotto. Animal Liberation South Australia (ALSA) and CPR will be teaming up outside the Morphettville racetrack to call out the industry for its ongoing abuse of thousands of horses, whilst also calling out the TAB, who now claim to have “zero-tolerance” for animal cruelty, yet continue to profit from it. See the TAB claims of zero-tolerance here. “It’s all well and good claim to be against animal abuse, but actions speak louder than words and the TAB’s actions are no more than a PR exercise” Mr Celotto said. A third party is also joining forces with the activists this year – the Canine Cup, a fun-filled cruelty-free alterative to the usual fair. The event came about after event coordinator Dani Slocombe saw Regal Monarch lose his life in the 2017 Melbourne Cup. “I thought ‘someone should make an event like a race day, but with none of the cruelty’ and with ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world‘ mentality. With over a decade of event coordinating experience, I set about to make it happen” Ms Slocombe said. “Now in it’s fourth year, we celebrate with over 200 guests, having all the fun, fashion, food and photo ops of a race day with none of the cruelty. Even the catering is plant based” she said. The Canine Cup will raise funds for Freedom Hill Sanctuary, a refuge for horses ruthlessly discarded by the racing industry, along with many other animals in need. The dog run is pre-recorded at a park, edited to feel like a race, then screened at the glamorous Canine Cup event, where Greens party candidate Yesha Joshi will also be in attendance. “It is such a great concept and the dogs are very clearly not being forced to do anything, unlike animals used in the racing industry. They look like they are having an absolute ball” said Mr Celotto. There is also an online version for the Melbourne Cup that venues across Australia and New Zealand screen instead of the horse race. A video of last year’s Canine Cup, Melbourne Cup edition, can be viewed here. “The horses need everyone everywhere who claims to care about animals to join the unstoppable movement and say Nup to the Cup all year, not just during the Spring Racing Carnival” Mr Celotto said. A previous Canine Cup event, where attendees watch the race on the big screen can be viewed here. ENDS |
|
| For Immediate Release, Monday 22 February 2021 Protesters Outside Launceston Cup Call for an End to the Barbaric ‘Sport’ What: Rally Against Launceston Cup When: Wednesday 24 February 2021 11am Where: Tasmania Turf Club, Jellico St Mowbray Heights TAS The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) will join forces this weekend with local activists from Direct Action Everywhere Tasmania outside the Launceston racetrack, urging racegoers to boycott the cup event, saying it is cruel and unnecessary. “Racegoers can no longer claim they don’t know about the inherent cruelty they are supporting” spokesperson for Direct Action Everywhere, Gabby Knox said today. “There have been several documentaries exposing what were once the racing industry’s dirty secrets.” Even Tasmania’s Director of Racing, John King, admitted on ABC Morning Radio that a “significant” number of two, three and four year old racehorses are shot in the head due to simply not being fast enough – referring to the issue as an “unfortunate truth”. Listen here. “In Tasmania, people like to think we don’t send racehorses to slaughter, but the majority do end up at our knackeries, or butchered in backyards or sent to the mainland to eventually meet the same fate. Tasmanian racehorses were even found at the horrific Meramist slaughterhouse in Caboolture QLD. It’s time for people to make a stand and stop supporting this industry” Knox said. Research by CPR shows, on average, 299 thorougbred horses vanish from Tasmanian racing each year. More here. But it is not only the systemic slaughter of racehorses that makes this industry beyond redemption. “On average, at least one horse will die on Australian racetracks every three days from being pushed too hard, too often in the pursuit of ever-growing prize money” Knox said. “The death of Douglas recently at the Devonport Racecourse was tragic, and it is just one death, on one day, on one racecourse in Australia. He is just one of many that are killed whilst racing for their lives.” “Researchers at the University of Melbourne have shown that 56 percent of racehorses have blood in their windpipe, and 90 percent have blood deeper in their lungs. It is the 21st century. There is no need for us to force animals to race around in circles for our own entertainment. The party is not worth the toll paid by the horses and the waste of life that ensues.” “We join the growing Nup To The Cup movement across Tasmania and the rest of the country and call for the end of the Launceston Cup, and all racetrack events” Gabby Knox said. ENDS For More information: horseracingkills.com |
|
| For Immediate Release, Saturday 16 January 2021 Activists take aim at the cruel Magic Millions What: Protest Against the Magic Millions When: Saturday 16 January 2021 Media opportunities from 11:30am Where: Gold Coast Turf Club, Racecourse Drive, Bundall More than 50 protestors representing Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, Animal Liberation Qld, and Coast to Coast Animal Friends will be in attendance. A PA system will also remind racegoers that horse racing = animal cruelty. “The racing industry’s retirement plan is a 50 cent bullet to the head.” — Promoted as the racing industries most prestigious sales event, the Magic Millions is where the cashed up come to purchase the next big winner. “Over one thousand horses, at just one and two years old, are being sold off like mere objects to the highest bidders, destined for a life of confinement, harsh training regimes and likely premature death” said Elio Celotto, Campaign Director of the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR). “They replace the injured and those deemed too slow that the racing industry has so callously discarded” Mr Celotto said. Chay Neal, Executive Director of Animal Liberaiton Queensland (ALQ) added “The Magic Millions flaunts money and glamour, while just down the road at Caboolture, the very same people are sending the horses they perhaps once profited from to be brutally killed. They are discarded like rubbish.” “The racing industry has failed these horses. Breed, use, abuse, then a bullet to the head. This is the racing industry’s business model, and anyone attending or betting on races is a part of that. We’re asking people to realise that horseracing equals animal cruelty, and to never bet on or attend races.” In 2019 the ABC’s 7.30 Report investigation exposed the systemic slaughter of thousands of racehorses every year forcing the industry to make token efforts in response, which includes the continuation of horse slaughter. “The industry should be calling for a ban on the slaughter of all horses bred into this industry, but they won’t because that would force them to have to address the over-breeding problem, resulting in a much lower sale and profitability rate at events such as the Magic Millions” Mr Neal said. “It is business as usual at these abattoirs and knackeries – dealing with the racing industry’s ‘wastage’. Even billionaire Gerry Harvey has been caught out sending racehorses to a NSW knackery.” Things are grim on the track too. At the Magic Millions, two-year-olds will be raced so that owners get a chance to see a return on their investments as soon as possible. “Their bodies are being pushed well-beyond their limits before their bones have even fully fused”. “This is one of the many reasons we see one horse killed on Australian racetracks every three days and another reason why so many are sent to the slaughterhouse” he said. “Opposition to horse racing is growing every year as the public becomes increasingly aware of the reality the horses face and the callous attitudes of those involved” he said. ENDS For More information: horseracingkills.com |
|
| For Immediate Release, Thursday 12 Novermber 2020 Peer-reviewed study confirms horse’s skin is as sensitive as human skin Activists call for immediate whip ban A peer reviewed study released yesterday (available here) has revealed that the horse’s skin is almost identical in structure and has the same ability to fell pain as humans. Excerpts from the study: “The results revealed no significant difference between humans and horses in either the concentration of nerve endings in the outerpain-detecting layer of skin (epidermis) or in the thickness of this layer.” “These findings show that although horse skin is thicker overall than human skin, the part of the skin that is thicker does not insulate them from pain that is generated during a whip strike, and that humans and horses have the equivalent basic anatomic structures to detect pain in the skin.” Elio Celotto, Campaign Director for the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR), “We hope this puts an end to the ridiculous argument that the whip doesn’t hurt and that Racing Australia now takes appropriate action and immediately phases out whips.” In March 2015, former CEO of the Australian Racing Board (ARB) now Racing Australia, Peter McGauran, was interviewed and said the ARB would consider abolishing the whip if science proved it hurt horses. “It’s simply appalling that the racing industry has been hiding behind the lack of scientific evidence that proves a horse feels pain. Of course they do and now we have the proof” Mr Celotto said. “The fact that they are to this day advocating for whip use to continue is an indictment on a sport that routinely uses, abuses and then disposes of the horses they rely upon to exist while at the same time claiming they love them” he said. “In light of this study, Racing Australia must take affirmative action and ban the whip before it’s forced upon them.” Excerpt form the study (page 12) “In a flight animal, such as the horse, being unable to resolve aversive cutaneous stimulation causes distress. Horses have evolved to run away from such stimuli since the most likely natural cause of such stimulation is contact from a predator. Repeated strikes of the whip in horses that are fatigued as they end a race are likely to be distressing and cause suffering. The horses’ loss of agency is described in the literature as helplessness and repeated, inescapable, treatment of this sort is thought to lead to learned helplessness.” “Not only does the whip hurt, it forces horses to run out of fear and be pushed to beyond their physical limits which can lead to break down or even catastrophic injury on the racetrack.” CPR is launching an on-line petition for a complete ban of whips in horse racing. ENDS For More information: horseracingkills.com |
|
| For Immediate Release, Thursday 5 November, 2020 Former industry veterinarian supports activist calls for immediate inquiry into handling of Anthony Van Dyck after fatal Melbourne Cup incident The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR), along with several animal activist groups and the Animal Justice Party, are calling for an immediate independent investigation into the handling of Anthony Van Dyck after his fetlock snapped in the Melbourne Cup yesterday. It is also calling for an independent necropsy report that will be made public, unlike necropsy reports currently conducted by the industry. The footage of the race, available here, shows the fetlock bone fracture as is evidenced by the way the hoof flaps in the opposite direction to the normal movement of the hoof. CPR Campaign Director Elio Celotto said “In instances like this catastrophic injury, the only humane option is to immediately euthanase the horse. The question is, why was the horse loaded onto a float and removed from the racetrack when the prognosis was clearly evident?” Stewards vision of the race is missing from the industry website and the regular vision has been edited to zoom in on the winning horses, cutting out the shocking vision of Anthony Van Dyck that those watching live saw. “The racing industry has again shown they simply cannot be trusted, and it must now explain why Anthony Van Dyck was taken off the racecourse instead of being immediately euthanased” he said Former racing industry veterinarian of 50 years Dr Peter Kerkenezov is highly concerned about the treatment of Anthony Van Dyck, stating yesterday to CPR: “It is apparent Anthony Van Dyck suffered a race induced catastrophic skeletal injury associated with extreme pain and suffering. The usual humane response would have been to euthanase the stallion, there and then, on the track, without inflicting any further pain transporting him to a new location. It is alleged this was not done despite the stallion being “unfit to load”. It is claimed Anthony Van Dyck was loaded and transported. The ethical nature of this decision needs investigating as a possible violation of animal welfare” Dr Peter Kerkenezov BM Equine Veterinarian (1971 – 2020) Wednesday 4th October 2020 Dr Kerkenezov has offered to carry out the independent investigation. His full statement can be read here. Mr Celotto added “This horse would have been in excruciating pain. To not euthanase him on the racetrack is just another example of the racing industry seeking to avoid the grim site of a green screen being pulled to hide the death of yet another horse on Melbourne Cup day.” “This is a trend we are seeing more and more, as horses who are taken off the racetrack to be killed do not need their death recorded in the stewards’ reports, thereby reducing the on-track death statistics. The death of Anthony Van Dyck was reported simply because the eyes of the world were watching and the news could not be hidden, despite attempts to do so” Mr Celotto said. ENDS For More information: horseracingkills.com |
|
| For Immediate Release, Tuesday 3 November, 2020 Activists head to Flemington Gates as Anthony Van Dyke is Announced Dead in the Cup Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) are now making their way to the Flemington gates after distressing but not surpising scenes of a horse breaking down badly in the Melbourne Cup hit Australian screens. “5 year old Anthony Van Dyke has broken down in the Melbourne Cup declared dead” said CPR Campaign Director Elio Celotto. “These are not accidents, these are inevitable incidents that can’t be avoided, because racehorses are pushed too far and too often.” “On average, one horse is killed on Australian racetracks every three days. The death of Anthony Van Dyke means seven deaths in eight years in the Melbourne Cup” he said. CPR will be at the track for interviews or available on the numbers below. ENDS |
|
| For Immediate Release, Monday 2 November, 2020 Photos: Protesters Crack ‘Bloody Horse Whips’ Outside Flemington PETA and Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses Collaborate to Protest Against Melbourne Cup Melbourne – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has joined forces with the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) today to protest against the Melbourne Cup. A group of protesters wearing geometric horse masks stood outside the gates of Flemington Racecourse carrying signs reading, “Nup to the Cup” and “You Bet They Die” and cracked “horse whips”, shooting blood-red smoke into the sky.  Photos of the demonstration are available here. “A spate of recent controversies has exposed the racing industry’s ruthless slaughter of thousands of unwanted racehorses, and yet, nothing has changed,” says CPR Communications Director Kristin Leigh. “Racehorses are still being sent to slaughter while the industry pretends to have cleaned up its mess.”  A report and documentary recently released by CPR reveals that every year, nearly 5,000 racehorses are killed at one Australian slaughterhouse alone. “With one other slaughterhouse killing horses for human consumption and approximately 30 knackeries, we estimate the number of Thoroughbred racehorses being sent to slaughter each year to be more than 10,000,” Leigh adds. CPR’s Death Watch reports that between August 2019 and July 2020, 116 horses died on Australian racetracks after sustaining catastrophic injuries or from heart failure. Even more horses are killed away from the track. Horses forced to race commonly suffer from stomach ulcers, internal bleeding from the lungs, and are painfully whipped to the finish line. “While media coverage glosses over the bleeding lungs, broken bones, and tragic loss of life, horses on Australian racetracks are subject to severe abuse and even death,” says PETA Senior Outreach and Partnerships Manager Emily Rice. “How many more deaths will it take before we call time on this disgraceful demonstration of national senselessness?” As documented by PETA US in 2019, many horses bred by the Australian racing industry are sold to South Korea, where they’re eventually slaughtered for meat. Since the 1970s, more than 3,000 horses from Australia or who had Australian parents have been killed for their flesh in South Korea. Following the release of this investigation, police in Jeju, South Korea, charged the abattoir where the footage was obtained, along with three of its workers, with killing horses in full view of other horses in violation of the nation’s Animal Protection Act. |
|
| For Immediate Release, Friday 30 October, 2020 More Routine Racehorse Slaughter Exposed In Thoroughbred Stud Heartland One year after the airing of the 7.30 story exposing the routine slaughter of racehorses at a Queensland abattoir, the slaughter continues in the heartland of thoroughbred country in NSW. The footage taken (watch here) in NSW at two knackeries, Kankool Pet Foods and Highland Pet Food, located in the vicinity of the largest concentration of thoroughbred studs in Australia, shows racehorses including brood mares, recently raced horses and un-named racehorses killed for pet meat. Elio Celotto, Campaign Director for the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses “It begs the question, considering the convenient location of these two knackeries to the largest concentration of thoroughbred studs in Australia, why weren’t these facilities investigated by Racing NSW.” “Again it’s left up to the animal activists to do the dirty work the racing industry should be doing. If they were serious about stopping the slaughter, these two facilities would have been the first to be investigated a long time ago and certainly in the last 12 months.” “The fact that the slaughter of racehorses continues right under the noses of the racing industry in NSW, three years after Peter V’Landys announced that no NSW racehorse would be sent to slaughter, is further evidence of an industry more intent on saying the right things than actually doing it. The public relations exercise is now over and immediate action is need.” “The RNSW rules preventing the slaughter of racehorses in NSW may look good on paper, but unless they are properly policed, horses will continue to be treated as disposable objects and end up being killed when no longer profitable.” “The shocking footage released yesterday by Farm Transparency Project is further evidence of an industry that is incapable of self- regulation and one that says all the right things yet repeatedly fails the very horses they say they love and will protect.” “Full transparency is now needed and every horse born into the racing industry must now be accounted for.” CPR is also calling for the fast-tracking of the National Horse Traceability Register that would act as a deterrent for those who are more inclined to taking a short cut to the knackery instead of finding a permanent home for their horses. In the mean time, CPR is calling for all state and territory governments to introduce legislation to compel the racing industry to account for every racehorse born into the racing industry and make this information available to the public. ENDS For More information: horseracingkills.com |
|
| For Immediate Release, Friday 30 October, 2020 Protesters Crack ‘Bloody Horse Whips’ Outside Flemington PETA and Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses Collaborate to Protest Against Melbourne Cup What: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will join forces with the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) on Monday to protest against the Melbourne Cup. A group of protesters wearing geometric horse masks will stand outside the gates of Flemington Racecourse carrying signs reading “Nup to the Cup” and “You Bet They Die” and crack “horse whips”, shooting blood-red smoke into the sky. Where: Outside the gates of Flemington Racecourse, 448 Epsom Road, Flemington, Vic When: Monday, 2 November, 11 am “A spate of recent controversies has exposed the racing industry’s ruthless slaughter of thousands of unwanted racehorses, and yet, nothing has changed,” says CPR Communications Director Kristin Leigh. “Racehorses are still being sent to slaughter while the industry pretends to have cleaned up its mess.” A report and documentary recently released by CPR reveals that every year, nearly 5,000 racehorses are killed at one Australian slaughterhouse alone. “With one other slaughterhouse killing horses for human consumption and approximately 30 knackeries, we estimate the number of Thoroughbred racehorses being sent to slaughter each year to be more than 10,000,” Leigh adds. “While media coverage glosses over the bleeding lungs, broken bones, and tragic loss of life, horses on Australian racetracks are subject to severe abuse and even death,” says PETA Senior Outreach and Partnerships Manager Emily Rice. “How many more deaths will it take before we call time on this disgraceful demonstration of national senselessness?” A 2019 PETA exposé revealed that some 3,000 Australian racehorses and their offspring had been cast off by the industry and killed for meat in South Korea. Last year, 116 horses died on Australian racetracks. |
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- …
- 25
- Next Page »
