Saturday July 5, 2008, 3:37 am
Live export – the cruel truth

Myth: Australia has the world’s best livestock export standards

FACT: The Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL) cover animals from farm to export. But these standards are inadequate for preventing the suffering of animals and they are logistically impossible to enforce because animals transported for slaughter often cross one or more state boundaries within Australia before reaching the port.

It is also difficult to enforce ASEL on-board the export ship. While the ASEL state that ‘provisions should exist to ensure that animal health and welfare interventions are undertaken where necessary to treat or euthanase sick or injured animals, this is difficult to carry out because it is often impossible to locate sick or injured animals in densely packed pens on board ships.

Countries with high animal welfare standards often do not export livestock for slaughter because of the associated welfare problems. A most recent example of this is New Zealand’s move tighten the restrictions on the export of animals for slaughter

Saturday July 5, 2008, 3:38 am
With the regency needed to stop this cruel trade we need to have more signatures at the moment there is only 451 we need a lot more to make a difference, please let every one of you friends know ask them to sign this very important petition.
Mick G Australia.

Saturday July 5, 2008, 3:39 am
Myth: If Australia doesn’t supply animals, other countries with worse animal welfare standards will

FACT: The presence of Australian animals in the importing countries conveys the dreadful message that Australians approve of their animal welfare practices.
Australia’s distance from importing countries means that our animals are forced to travel very long distances to their place of slaughter, they are often unsuitable for handling and transport because they have such limited contact with humans and, because Australian animals raised in cool climates and are not used to high temperatures they can experience great difficulty adjusting to the climate differences.

The Handle with Care coalition is calling for the Australian Government to work with industry and importing countries to expand the current trade in chilled and frozen meat from animals that have been humanely transported and slaughtered in Australia.

Myth: By supplying animals to the Middle East, Australia has more leverage for improving standards in importing countries

FACT: None of the countries to which Australia sends animals for slaughter have equivalent animal welfare protection laws. While improvements have been made in some instances, video footage collected by investigators in 2007 shows extremely inhumane transport conditions, handling and slaughter techniques. Treatment that would be neither tolerated nor legal in Australia.

Animals are often transported in inappropriate vehicles, and lack of ramps and unloading races results in physical force being used to move animals, including throwing and dropping animals and lifting and dragging them by body parts. Inhumane slaughtering methods in some importing countries includes cutting leg tendons and stabbing the eyes of cattle to bring them down, often followed by ineffective throat-cutting. Sheep are also killed without pre-stunning, have their throats cut and bleed to death. Animals purchased for ‘home slaughter’ can face even crueler slaughtering methods.

Saturday July 5, 2008, 3:40 am
Myth: Importing countries demand live animals for religious purposes or due to lack of refrigeration

FACT: Middle East countries that currently import live animals also import chilled meat, and the demand for chilled meat is growing every year.
Australia currently has a significant and growing export trade in halal accredited chilled and frozen meat, and last year the export of sheepmeat was more than four times as valuable as the export of live sheep and the export of beef more than ten times more valuable than the export of cattle.

During the previous ban on live sheep and cattle from Australia to Saudi Arabia (1991 - 2000), there was a three-fold increase in exports of chilled and frozen mutton and lamb to that market - evidence that consumers in the Middle East will accept meat from animals humanely killed in Australia.

Myth: Ending live exports will cost Australian jobs

FACT: Australia‘s meat trade is worth double the live export trade. An increase in meat exports would contribute to the economy by creating more business for Australia‘s abattoirs and processors.

Saturday July 5, 2008, 7:09 pm
Mick this crap anywhere in the world is just horrid...My ex boyfriend use to haul pigs from Oklahoma to Del rio texas and I used to go with him and it was a semi of course and it was just horrid to me...he would stop and not even try to cool the pigs down until I threw a damn fit...But I always got my way we would find a truck wash and spray the trailer and the pigs down really good for they were so hot they would look as if to pass out...But not with him and that job anymore...Just too awful what ANY animals on their way to slaughter...

Big Goirlly Hugs

Sunday July 6, 2008, 11:43 am
Indeed a very important petition.Thank you Mick,signed

Saturday July 12, 2008, 9:54 pm
Noted Mick & Signed the petition. I will forward this to my friends. Well done, great start keep it up.

Sunday July 13, 2008, 2:53 am
Its up to 567 Signitures slowly creeping up to its mark. :)

Sunday July 13, 2008, 11:10 pm

Signed June 29th. Thank you for the forward Lyn, and thank you for your efforts here Mick.

Sunday July 13, 2008, 11:35 pm
Signed June 27,thank you Mick.
581 now,getting there!

Sunday July 13, 2008, 11:37 pm
Petition signed.

TY, Lyn & Mick.

Sunday July 13, 2008, 11:58 pm
Noted and signed June 27th, thanks Mick & Lyn.

Monday July 14, 2008, 4:26 am
Transporting "food" while still packaged in its fur and whilst breathing and feeling, enduring mortal fear for days on end is just CRUEL. It represents the human disrespect towards live and living creatures. It is the CHOICE to disrespect, to be cruel and unfeeling towards these animals for moneytary reasons, that even amplifies the act of cruelty. You have a choice - they (animal) don't.

Monday July 14, 2008, 5:32 am
Thank you! You signed at 10:55 AM PDT, Jul 5, 2008
Noted and forwarding ~ TY Mick and Lyn!

Monday July 14, 2008, 6:04 am
Already signed and noted with thanks Mick. Thanks for sending to me Jocelyn.

Thank you! You signed at 8:14 AM PDT, Jun 28, 2008

Monday July 14, 2008, 10:11 am
THANK YOU MICK--THE HORRIBLE TRANSPORT OF "ALL" ANIMALS HAS TO BE STOPPED! THE SAME IS HAPPENING TO OUR HORSES GOING TO MEXICO & CANADA! THANKS LYN FOR THE FORWARD!

Thank you! You signed at 12:06 AM PDT, Jul 7, 2008

Monday July 14, 2008, 2:08 pm
Noted and already signed,thank you Lyn and Mick.

Monday July 14, 2008, 4:51 pm
Thank you! You signed at 2:19 PM PDT, Jun 28, 2008
Thank you J and thank you Mick.

Monday July 14, 2008, 10:33 pm
Thank you! You signed at 8:49 AM PDT, Jul 6, 2008

Monday July 14, 2008, 11:20 pm
I have already signed but, this transport I can not stand when I see it I put the metal to the floor to get away fro it for I get angry and want to do many things but, I can't for I will go to jail, or cause a truck to crash and kill innocent animals to die or even the driver and I don't want there blod on my hands. but, I sure would like to let them out LOL!!! Thanks Lyn

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 1:26 am
Noted, and petition was signed, thank you.

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 2:21 am
Signed!

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 7:19 am
Signed. Thank you!

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 12:37 pm
Nothing from Australia or China is allowed in our home with our knowledge. That is the most despicable behaviour against animals I have ever heard of.Only people with Godless souls are capable of this. I'm disgusted and ashamed of them and anyone who purchases their products of any kind.

Tuesday July 15, 2008, 2:41 pm
Noted and signed at 12:17 PM PDT, Jun 30, 2008
Tnx for posting Mick

Friday July 18, 2008, 3:55 am
Not only has our food changed over the last 30 years, but also the way animals are looked at, they used to be valuable, farmers would treat them well. the death still was horrible though, but at least they lived a live free of hunger, thirst, or horror. Farmers always believed, that they get better meat if they treated the animal kind. Now it is different, they rape them if they don't want to breed, or they shoot them or do something else artificial to them to breed. But they have to fill them up with antibiotics so they don't get sick. Because animals get sick, when they are kept so compacted. They are not looked at as valuable, not the individual animal, just the profit that they can make with a lot of pigs or chickens or whatever. They don't care if one or two or all animals suffer. That is why we are here, to open peoples eyes to the actrocities that is being done to animals in the name of profit.The greedy are seriously trying to breed pigs without legs and feelings. It is just too ghastly what is being done to animals these days. And the consumer must know, because this is the only way that we can put pressure on governments to change the animal laws for farm animals and helpprotecting them more.
And there are now Governments, that will trow you in jail for belonging to an organisation like animal rights groups. Just in case if you are not reading this post: Have a look what is going on in Austria:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/freedom-for-the-austrian-animal-rights-advocates.html
This concerns all of us.

Friday July 18, 2008, 3:57 am
Sorry Mick, I don't want to undermine your post. animal transport should be stopped. I don't know why rudd is not stopping it?

Friday July 18, 2008, 4:37 am
Thanks Bea and yes I voted for him, time to get Garret off his bum and do what he stood for In those Green Days While the mid-night oil still burns in his vains

Monday July 21, 2008, 12:42 am
Noted and petition signed on July 6th. Thank you for highlighting this story Mick, it needs all the publicity it can get.
This is one of the causes I've been working on all year with Animals Australia.
Prime Minister Rudd stated on radio in the lead up to the election that he would not tolerate animal cruelty. We need to keep reminding him that this is horrendous animal cruelty and that his government must end the Live Animal Export to the Middle East now.

Our treatment of Animals ultimately affects our treatment of each other and our world. It's time we started treating animals much, much better.
If your pet were the victim, you would FIGHT to see the abuse stopped!
...Why not fight for ALL innocent animal victims! Let's get the message out!

Tony Burke MP is the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and to date the replies to my letters from his department have just been full of political spin. We need to just keep on, keeping on, to get them to do what is right. Thanks again Mick and Lyn.

Monday July 21, 2008, 1:46 pm
thanks Mick ...your da-bomb :) smiles

Saturday August 9, 2008, 5:25 pm
There is only 225 signature's need to post this petition so please cross post to every one you know and stop the horror brought on to these poor animals
Mick we Care 2