Media release
29th October 2008
Appeal to farmers – Don’t send your sheep to cruelty
Animals Australia is publishing full-page ‘open letter’ advertisements in the major rural newspapers
this week appealing to sheep farmers not to send their animals to the Middle East for the upcoming Eid
‘Festival of Sacrifice’ to be held between the 8th and 10th of December.
Animals Australia investigators have been in the Middle East during the past three ‘Festivals of Sacrifice’.
The ‘open letter’ alerts farmers to the additional cruelties faced by animals during this Festival when Muslims
throughout the Middle East purchase sheep for sacrifice. Footage obtained in Egypt of Australian sheep sales
in the lead up to the Eid has prevented further sheep exports into Egypt last year. Similar abuse of animals
was documented in Bahrain and Dubai and yet animals are still being sources for these destinations.
Animals Australia Executive Director, Glenys Oogjes said today:
“The Festival of Sacrifice is the worst time of the year in the Middle East for animals. Our live exporters know
it – yet they don’t warn farmers, they deliberately keep the truth from them because they know that most
farmers would refuse to send their animals to such a fate.”
“I know that times are tough for farmers especially with the ongoing drought. But Animals Australia believes
that if animals were being abused like this at a local stockyard that regardless of any extra money on offer,
farmers would be outraged and refuse to supply their animals to such treatment.”
“LiveCorp’s PR mantra “we are changing things” is a highly convenient response when the eyes of the farming
community are 10,000 away. Animals Australia investigators documented workers dragging, trussing and
tossing animals onto trucks and shoving animals into car boots at the Bahrain Livestock Feedlot at last years
Eid, despite MLA/LiveCorp conducting training courses at this facility.”
“There is now overwhelming evidence to prove that Australia supplying live animals to the Middle East has led
local people to believe that their current treatment of animals is acceptable and that change is not needed”.
“We are appealing to farmers to reconsider exporting their animals not only to protect their animals from abuse,
but so that the right message is conveyed to the region – that animals and their welfare do matter to Australian
farmers and they don’t approve of their livestock being treated this way” concluded Ms Oogjes.
Media contact:
Glenys Oogjes 041 431 2552
Video footage and hi res photos available
Animals Australia Office 03 9329 6333
Animals Australia Inc. 37 O’Connell Street, North Melbourne 3051
NEWS 
