The undercover video shows cattle bellowing while having their horns removed, staggering and panting following horn removal or castration, and being kicked in the face by station workers.
CALLA WAHLQUIST: ‘“Despicable and horrific” footage showing cattle in distress after having their horns removed without pain relief has prompted renewed calls for the use of pain relief to be made mandatory on Australian cattle stations… One station worker, whose face and voice have been distorted, can be heard saying: “Nobody uses pain killer. Too expensive, too much hassle.”
Western Australia has promised to fast-track its laws following the release of footage on Israeli television this week that showed cattle on several stations in northern WA bellowing while having their horns removed, staggering and panting following horn removal or castration, and being kicked in the face by station workers…
The footage was filmed over two years by animal welfare investigators from Israel, who took jobs on the stations… None of the stations were identified by Israel-based animal rights organisation Sentient, which conducted the investigation. But the managers of one station came forward on Thursday to say they had launched an independent investigation to identify those responsible for the abuse.
Australian animal welfare standards state that pain relief must be used when dehorning cattle over six months old, or 12 months in rangelands stations. But so far those standards, which were introduced in 2016, are only enforced by law in one state – South Australia…
About 3% of the 1.2m cattle live exported from Australia in 2018-19 were sent to Israel. Israel has been moving toward a ban of live cattle and sheep imports from Australia following a sustained campaign from animal rights campaigners, including the first lady, Sara Netanyahu’. SOURCE…
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