Rodeo Does Not Belong at the Olympics
The Olympics are meant to celebrate fair play and sportsmanship, not violence and animal abuse, so PETA is urging the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games to reject the Mount Isa mayor’s suggestion that rodeo be featured as an exhibition event.
As more of the public have come to understand that cows, bulls, and horses are no different in any way that matters from the animals with whom many of us share our homes, public opposition to rodeos has grown. The individuals tormented at rodeos are prey animals who experience fear when chased, tackled, and thrown to the ground. In the chute, humans rile up bulls by shocking, jabbing, and kicking them and twisting their delicate tails. They buck not to entertain humans but as a desperate attempt to escape a terrifying situation – and this vigorous bucking can cause soft tissue and joint injuries.
Gruesome injuries are common, and animals who don’t immediately die from broken bones and punctured lungs are hauled off to the abattoir, terrified and in agonising pain.
PETA, along with every major animal protection organisation, opposes rodeos, and we urge the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games to highlight a true Australian sport instead, such as Aussie Rules, and leave cruelty to animals off the itinerary.
What’s Wrong With Rodeos?
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