Rodeo is a sport with long American traditions and loved by many spectators and participants. Past history has shown that rodeo needed to make way for a new era of riders and trainers with a larger emphasis on the welfare of the animals and not be discontinued or banned entirely. Today’s rodeos do not present a danger to the animals because the animals are well-cared for and protected, rodeos have strict rules and the stock are treated as prized animals.
There is a very important distinction when dealing with animal welfare and animal rights. After learning to tell the difference between the two, it is easier to distinguish the organization that wants to help animals and the people who wish to end the use of animals. Even though there are different groups that support different agendas for the sport, both should have the same goal. Animal rights are organizations that seek to end the ownership and use of animals. The largest of those groups are The Humane Society and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. There is a ‘Pro-Rodeo’ organization under the guise ‘Friends of Rodeo.’ They claim to be the only organization solely devoted to protecting and promoting the sport of rodeo, all of rodeo regardless of association affiliation. “What rodeo proponents fail to acknowledge is that rodeos harm animals that are forced to perform in a competition that is essentially a display of human domination over other species” (The Rodeo 1).
Animal welfare is based on the humane care and use of the animals. Organizations that support animal welfare seek to improve the treatment of animals. The first rule on humane care was established by the Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association in 1947. Seven years before the Humane Society was established. The a...
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... rodeo as cruel and abusive. But the rodeo today is changing with the hope of getting better. The bucking and roping stock are treated as prized animals. They even have their own bucking champions. The solution to any kind of animal abuse is in the continued scrutiny of the sport by the PRCA. As the sport evolves and the animals become more valuable it should cause better care for the animals.
Works Cited
“Animal Rights” 22 Nov. 2008
“Animal Welfare” 24 Nov. 2008
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Larson, Peggy W. Animal Abuse Inherent In Rodeos 2008 PO Box 28 Geneva, IL 60134
“Livestock Care” 23 Nov. 2008
“Rodeo Facts” 22 Nov. 2008
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“The Rodeo” 23 Nov. 2008
The use of horses for human consumption dates back to the earliest use of animals for human consumption. Horses are used for food in many counties but are also considered inhumane in other countries. In the United States specifically, horsemeat is not the norm for consumed meat. There seems to be a problem that has arisen. It is suspected that horses being slaughtered at horse slaughtering factories are not the most up to date, pain free for the horse, and human as people suspect them to be like beef kill floors.
The use of the cattle prod is one of the most widely believe myths of rodeo. “The cattle prod is a device developed by the cattle industry to move livestock. Use of the prod has become one of the most universally accepted and humane methods of herding animals on ranches, in veterinary clinics, and, on occasion, at professional rodeos. The PRCA also regulates the use of prods. PRCA rules require that the prod be used as little as possible and that the animal be touched only on the hip or shoulder area.” (PRCA Rodeo Equipment) “An electric prod provides a low current shock to induce the movement of the animals. This type of prod does not harm the animals, as it provides a mild electrical shock sensation that leaves no prolonged effects.” (PRCA Rodeo
To keep mustangs from over populating Conrad Burns has made it his goal to not let wild mustangs starve to death. Cattle ranchers says the wild horses mess with their operations on public land they lease (Lum). We only have a few ways to control the horse population and horse slaughter is a big one, and if we don't new problems could come up. From the article Activists Fight Horse Slaughter because of low economy and a raise in feed cost prices for the cheapest horses at auctions dropped 21%. This has be found to be a contributor to the raise is abuse and horse neglect as well as abandonment (Dorell). Ending horse slaughter could lead to more horse abuse, but what is the positives of ending horse
Four journalists named Helen Jones, Larry Andrews, Marcia Glaser, and Fred Myers thought it would be a good idea to create a nonprofit organization to help animals that have are treated cruelly by either abuse or when they are left alone. The Humane Society has been helping animals since November 24, 1954(2). Their mission since the beginning has been celebrating animals and confronting cruelty. There are a great number of things that the Humane Society has been doing for the animals, like saving them from people who want to harm them. The list of animals that the Humane Society helps is very long, because they don’t just help the household pets that you might have thought. The conditions of the Humane Society change due to the types of animals
A very popular media page that is against rodeo is SHARK, which stands for Showing Animals Respect and Kindness. This page has a ton of articles that encourage others to view rodeo as cruel. SHARK had written an entire article on the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, and how cruel the rodeo was. After the article went viral, many Internet surfers began really discussing how cruel rodeo was and suddenly more protests began, and more and more people began boycotting rodeos. Once this happened Rodeo Spokesman began talking and firing back at the negative comments proving their statements were in fact false. Soon after this major upturn, an article was written in the Wyoming Tribute Eagle, titled CFD Rodeo: Safe or Cruel? The article discussed what SHARK had mentioned in their article and what the rodeo spokesman said in return. “SHARK said a different horse died Tuesday in the arena after its rider rode dangerously close to a fence. The group said the rider may have created the accident by riding too close to the fence. CFD responded that an autopsy by a board-certified veterinarian showed the horse died from aortic aneurism. "There was no trauma" from an injury, Budd said. The death could have happened anywhere. The horse "died of a medical condition, not an injury."” (Orr, 2013, para. 1)
The humane society is a nonprofit organization, which is a corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. The humane society is also a 501c, a nonprofit American tax-exempt organization. It was founded in 1954 by Fred Myers (1904-1963), its first name was the National Humane Society, later named The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Their first mission was to decrease suffering of livestock during slaughter. The Humane Slaughter Act passed in 1958, this would change the lives of millions of animals around America. The Humane Society began investigating animal experimentation around the 1950s to gather evidence on animal neglect or suffering. Myers said,” every humane society should be actively concerned about the treatment accorded to such a vast number of animals.” In 1961 HSUS investigated dog dealers in the U.S. to gain support for a law to be passed that would prevent cruelty to animals in laboratories. The investigation lasted 5 years, then in February 1966 life magazine published an essay about dog dealers and thousands of Americans wrote to their congressional representatives and demanded action to protect animals and stop pet theft. Later that year the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 was passed, the second major federal humane law passed since world war II. Other goals they had during this time were: reduce homeless dogs and cats, reform inhumane euthanasia practices, redact abuses by pet stores and pet breeding trades, and help wildlife and marine life. The head of the humane society organization are the board of directors, which has about 15 members who are all volunteers. Then there is the executive board ...
Rodeos go out of their way to protect the animals during their performances. For example, the flank strap is said to be sharp and painful. However, in reality it is made up of sheepskin which protects the animal from cuts, and sores. There are actually rules against flank straps causing pain to any animal. It has also been said that animals are shocked with hot shots when they are to slow to start performing. This is false due to the fact that there is now a law banning any hot shots or electric prods on livestock during a rodeo. Not only are there rules during before the events begin there are rules also during the events. During the events if a cowboy is seen being to rough with the cattle they will receive a no time. This is another reason why they are so careful with the cattle. Having one no time can result in last place at a rodeo, so cowboys will go out of their way to insure no animal is injured. It is also said the care of livestock is horrible. This is false because stock contractors can get fined up to $20,000 for not treating the animals with good care. Not only do the cowboys, and stock contractors care about the animals the whole rodeo community does. Profits from most rodeos are sent to organizations to help injured bulls, and also provide then with everything they could ever
Animal abuse can be looked at in many different forms but it’s mostly up to you to determine if you agree or disagree with it. Many people believe rodeos should be outlawed because of the visible abuse. It could be from a steer getting drug behind a horse or from probes that make bucking horses and bulls buck. Others believe that all actions are taken to insure the safety of the animals and the contestants. The real question is what do you believe?
When you attend the fair do you ever see people walking around with cowboy hats, boots and spurs, and button ups? Do you ever see girls with caked on makeup and crowns on their hats? Or maybe you have seen guys who have dirty clothes on, who kind of have a sway to their walk, or are wearing beaten up cowboy hats? If you are nodding your head yes then you have seen rodeo people, and you may already know the three most common types of rodeo people: Ropers, Roughies, and Barbie Dolls.
"Animal Cruelty and Human Violence : The Humane Society of the United States." RSS. N.p.,
Human beings have been shown to be the cruelest animals on the planet. While other animals will kill for defense or food, humans are the only ones that inflict unnecessary cruelty onto others like they do through experimentation. Fortunately, some people throughout the years have shown sympathy towards the various animals that are tested on day after day and work to stop the atrocities committed by man. Animal rights activists and their cause can be traced back to their origins in the antivivisection campaigns of the 1900s. Both individuals and groups of people work to abrogate the abuse of animals, usually through protests. The most prominent organization that advocates for animal rights is PETA or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who have fought many battles in the war against animal cruelty. Two of PETA’s victories were in their campaigns, where they worked with several other organizations, against Gillette and Colgate for their experimentation on and mistreatment of animals. Their victory against Gillette came with, “the multinational company announcing a moratorium in December 1996 on animal testing of its ...
The growing issue of the welfare of wild animals has called for immense concerns for multiple reasons. Even so, more now today with the recent animal related incidents that have taken place and publicized in social media and broadcasted
Every 60 seconds an animal is abused. Dogs, cats, horses, and many other types of animals are being neglected and tortured everyday, yet resulting in few and minor consequences for the perpetrators. Animal abuse is prevalent in the United States and has been an ongoing issue since the 1970's, and prior to. Society as a whole has chosen to avoid the facts and arguments about animal cruelty, because to some it is seen as acceptable and typical. It becomes much more frowned upon when people actually see the results of the cruelty, especially in the media.
“Virtually 96 percent of their lives are spent in chains or cages,” and “11 months a year they travel over long distances in box cars with no climate control; sleeping, eating, and defecating in the same cage,” as stated by PAWS, Protective Animal Welfare Society, is one of the many organizations that strives to protect animals right and sheds light on this horrific situation that should be stopped at once. This is an insight of what the animals have to endure just for our entertainment. PAWS also discuses when these animals are eventually allowed out of their cages they undergo “extreme ‘discipline’ such as whipping, hitting, poking, and shocking with electrical prods,” for training purposes to ensure that the performance goes without any complications. The transportation of theses animals is cruel and unusual no matter how it is looked at.
Towards animal welfare comes the aspect of animal cruelty. Animal cruelty is a fairly recent subject that has affected society. Animal cruelty has now shown comparisons in human abused households. The concern is recent because as society changes, human attitudes change which now affects animals. Animal welfare is used to help animal cruelty, because decreasing the violence between animals and humans can help the regulations of animal welfare.