An industry is only as good as the way it treats its animals. By this logic, the cattle farming industry in Western Australia (WA) is abhorrent.
Footage shot by brave activists from the animal rights organization Sentient showed countless cattle in WA facilities being dehorned aggressively and without any medical pain relief.
The cattle screamed and struggled as their horns were sliced and pulled from their heads. The lucky ones without complications would be left disoriented and traumatized. The less fortunate would later suffer and die with the sun beating down on them.
Sign the petition calling for the Western Australia to make pain relief mandatory during all dehorning procedures!The dehorning of cattle is a reasonable practice if done humanely. Cattle often injure each other with their horns inadvertently, so horn removal promotes herd safety and health. But in Western Australia,
the practice is highly unregulated. Words like "should" are littered throughout the code of animal welfare. One section states that painkillers are only suggested for cattle older than six months old.
Why on earth would the youngest, most vulnerable cattle be put through the most pain?All cattle, no matter what age, should have their pain alleviated during dehorning.Only about
15% of the industry's producers use painkillers at all. If you watch the footage for yourself, you can hear countless workers claiming that painkillers and vets are too inconvenient and expensive to use.
If cattle farmers cannot go to the trouble of treating their animals with decency, they should find a new job. Enough is enough. Sign the petition and make sure that Western Australia's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development create real regulations granting all cattle pain relief during dehorning!