Stop the journey of death for millions

I watched dumbstruck at the cruelty. Where these things human? Who could do this to an animal? I wanted to turn away, but I had to watch to confirm the truth. Animals being slaughtered and butchered in front of their fellow doomed creatures. Men beating and torturing animals as they cried out in pain. My heart was torn in two as I watched a trembling black steer, corralled, watching and waiting in terror, for his turn to be butchered?

It has been described as Australia’s biggest shame, a black mark on her otherwise good animal rights record. In a country famous for its outback cattle drives, there is one drive that needs to stop: the live export of animals for slaughter.

You think flying economy class is uncomfortable. Imagine sharing your seat with three others for 35 days. On a flight constantly bombarded my strong winds and turbulence. Imagine that you are not allowed to go to the bathroom; you are forced to lie in your own faeces and urine, as well as the passengers lying on top, or besides you. There is no air-conditioning and the smell of death permeates through the cabin as some passengers die on the way. Would you ever dream of flying in these conditions? Would you ever dream of allowing a family member, a friend, or your pet to travel in these conditions? This is the reality for millions of cattle every year as Australia exports over 3 million live animals for slaughter each year - mainly cattle, sheep and goats - to markets in the Middle East and Asia. Reality check: you are allowing this to happen to thousands of cattle every year, if you do not act now.

After a disturbing expose on the cruelty suffered by Australian cattle on, and after this horrific journey there was huge public outcry that resonated across the world. A few stop-gap measures were put into place, which included the Gillard government temporarily suspending the live export of cattle to Indonesia. Yet nothing really was done that would make a major impact on lessoning the extreme pain, terror and misery suffered by these animal. If fact, instead of acting to save these cattle, Federal Nationals leader Warren Truss has nominated strengthening Australian livestock exports - not just the cattle trade to Indonesia - as a leading priority for the newly elected Coalition government. This while animals still endure cruel death, including being beaten, dragged, thrown, inverted in medieval slaughter boxes banned here in Australia, having their tails broken, their eyes gouged and stabbed, and their leg tendons slashed to disable them, before having their throats cut while fully conscious.

It is barbaric, it is cruel, and it needs to stop now. There is no reason why chilled or frozen meat rather than live animals be exported. We all saw the footage, we all called for action yet nothing has been done. We will not lie down Tony Abbott, we will not forget.

Sign now and make a difference to millions of animals.