Rodeos are dangerous for animals and humans
posted by: Drew Wilson 148 days ago
Animals simply do not belong in entertainment. Rodeos and other animal acts are not only cruel to animals, they are dangerous for the human participants and onlookers. This past Sunday, a 12-year-old boy died after a bull stomped on him during the Little Britches Rodeo in Longmont, Colorado. Richard Wayde Hamar was riding a bull when he fell to the ground. The bull continued to flail and crushed the boy's body. He later died at the hospital. The boy's death is tragic, but should we really be surprised?
It takes a lot of abuse to get a bull so riled up that he jumps, kicks, and flails. Bulls live a life of constant stress and abuse. They are beaten, starved, and confined in tight pens. Rodeo riders often prod the bull's testicles with electric shock sticks before mounting them. While the riders make a voluntary decision to risk their safety by participating in a rodeo, the animals have no such choice.
Dr. C.G. Haber is a veterinarian who saw many animals discarded from rodeos and sold for slaughter. He described seeing animals "with 6-8 ribs broken from the spine, and at times puncturing the lungs." He saw animals with "as much as 2-3 gallons of free blood accumulated under the detached skin" from bruising.
What kind of lessons are kids like Richard learning from the rodeo? Rodeos are nothing but macho displays of human domination over animals. Kids are being taught that is it acceptable to abuse animals for fun.
Rodeos are already outlawed in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Many other European countries have strong restrictions on them. There are some jurisdictions in the United States where animal acts are banned, but not many. Some city governments in my home state of Massachusetts have created legislation that makes using animals in entertainment illegal. I can only hope that this tragic events leads to stricter legislation that protects the animals abused and held captive and the riders who are injured in rodeos.
What do you think? Is there any reason why rodeos should stick around?
It takes a lot of abuse to get a bull so riled up that he jumps, kicks, and flails. Bulls live a life of constant stress and abuse. They are beaten, starved, and confined in tight pens. Rodeo riders often prod the bull's testicles with electric shock sticks before mounting them. While the riders make a voluntary decision to risk their safety by participating in a rodeo, the animals have no such choice.
Dr. C.G. Haber is a veterinarian who saw many animals discarded from rodeos and sold for slaughter. He described seeing animals "with 6-8 ribs broken from the spine, and at times puncturing the lungs." He saw animals with "as much as 2-3 gallons of free blood accumulated under the detached skin" from bruising.
What kind of lessons are kids like Richard learning from the rodeo? Rodeos are nothing but macho displays of human domination over animals. Kids are being taught that is it acceptable to abuse animals for fun.
Rodeos are already outlawed in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Many other European countries have strong restrictions on them. There are some jurisdictions in the United States where animal acts are banned, but not many. Some city governments in my home state of Massachusetts have created legislation that makes using animals in entertainment illegal. I can only hope that this tragic events leads to stricter legislation that protects the animals abused and held captive and the riders who are injured in rodeos.
What do you think? Is there any reason why rodeos should stick around?
Read more: animal welfare
comments
What I dont get is why you folks nee to put down a little boy who for one was doing what he love to do and for two what world did you come from rodeo is what got this country going like it or not how do you think we had horses back in the old west or took care of cattle in pasture when they were sick it was ranchers that made this country and its you folks who ruin it with your hollier than thou bs I was the First bullfighter to him when he dided and I invite you to attend our memorial for him and you will see what the rodeo family does for each other Boulder county fair grounds Nov 13th it starts at 5
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I totally agree I think there dangerous for both and need to be stopped.
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Kathy C,
PETA Kills is not a PETA web site. It's a web site started by a group who also opposes MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). Show us PROOF that HSUS and PETA want to take all of our companion animals away. Show us PROOF that PETA or HSUS has published what you claim (links, documents, blog statements).
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rodeos should be banned. the animals suffer and get sold to be slaughtered not experiencing any love and care before they die. i wonder what humans get so amused by watching these kinds of things.
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Kristi you can google HSUS fraud and gets tons of pages and sites that describe HSUS's real agendas. Also google Peta kills and you'll get the same thing. Unpopular Vegan Essays has info on these groups as well.
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http://www.youtube.com/user/SHARKonlineorg
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Kathy C,
Please provide proof of your allegations against HSUS and PETA. I'm a long time member of both groups and what you're saying is all lies spread by corporate interests. Please provide PROOF. Thanks!
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I just want to add that I am totally against abuse and neglect of animals! I have 6 dogs and 15 cats that were all rescues. Everyone is now spayed or neutered. They are like my children. I have no doubt that they think and feel.
My biggest fear is that extremist animal rights people will make it impossible for all of us to have the 4 legged family members that we love in our homes. Please keep this in mind when you vote or agree to stricter animal laws.
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Well you know Debra, that the PETA and HSUS people think that it's abuse to have animals in your house and they think they need to all be set free. So in their opinion, you are abusive for spaying/neutering your cats and keeping them in your house. Who's opinion is right? There's a lot of gray out there.
Just remember that more government involvement and laws in our lives could come back to bite us all in the butt. Where do you draw the line? I don't think you'd be very happy if our government told you that you had to let your four legged family go or that you could only have one cat or one dog like the Chinese. Be careful what you wish for. It's a slippery slope.
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Had to return for one more comment, this time from a typical rodeo attendee, for this year's Calg. Stampede:
"Big Tex
I like the part where them little calves run 60 miles a hour and then a ruff-tuff cowboy throws a noose around their necks and they go from 60 to 0 in one second! And guess what? That's called treating an animal humanely!"
Like I'd said, nice company rodeo fans keep.
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