Criminal Charges Filed Against Australian Live Exporter

Cruelty to animals charges have been filed against Emanuel Exports, a live sheep exporter based in Western Australia, for allegedly breaching the Animal Welfare Act during a deadly two-week-long journey to Kuwait in November of 2003. More than 1,000 sheep died on the voyage. The charges are welcomed by animal advocates worldwide, who have worked for decades to expose horrific cruelty in the live-export industry. On another infamous voyage, in 2003, thousands more sheep died without food and water when the MV Cormo Express was stranded for more than two months at sea. Even more recently, a fully loaded ship bound for the Middle East sat in a hot Australian port for more than a week while mechanics evaluated the ship’s seaworthiness. Sadly, there are countless examples of deadly neglect and cruelty, and incidents like these are not exceptions to the rule.

Click here for undercover video footage of live sheep exports.

Please demand that the Australian government bring an immediate end to the cruel live-export trade:

The Honourable John Howard
Prime Minister of Australia
Parliament House
Canberra, ACT 2600
+61 2 6273 4100 (fax)
http://www.pm.gov.au/email.cfm

Millions of cows, goats, and gentle sheep are shipped and die by the tens of thousands every year when they are crammed aboard open-decked ships, many stories high, for a terrifying sea voyage across thousands of miles, often suffering in temperatures above 100°F. During these agonizing journeys, which can take several weeks, many thousands of sheep die of starvation caused by stress, confusion, and unfamiliarity with food made into pellets; many collapse from heat exhaustion, and many are smothered or trampled by other frightened sheep. Sick and injured sheep have been ground up in giant onboard mincing machines while still conscious; others have been thrown overboard to drown or be eaten by sharks.

Once the survivors arrive at their final destination, usually the Middle East, Asia, or North Africa, where animal welfare standards are often nonexistent, sheep are hauled from the ships and sold for slaughter. In most of these countries, animals are not stunned before slaughter. This means that animals are dragged into slaughterhouses and market squares, where their throats are slit, often in front of other sheep, while completely conscious. Many of these sheep are thrown on top of other sheep, where they slowly bleed to death.