Rodeo cruelty warning 'not enough'

Roping calves is legal, but goading them with electric prods is not. Photo / File

Save Animals From Exploitation (SAFE) has applauded news that an animal handler at this year's Mid Northern Rodeo at Maungatapere had been formally warned by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) for cruelty - but wanted more.

Charges were laid after volunteer investigators from Anti-Rodeo Action NZ produced evidence from the event in January, reportedly showing calves being shocked with an electric prod, prohibited under the Rodeos Code of Welfare, along with older cattle, deemed by the Animal Welfare Act as unnecessary and unreasonable.

The MPI's manager of animal welfare compliance, Brendon Mikkelsen, said a person was alleged to have used an electric prodder to cause short periods of pain to young calves under 12 months old, a contravention of minimum standard 4, Rodeos Code of Welfare, and to inflict short periods of pain on older cattle, which was both unnecessary and unreasonable, and resulted in ill-treatment of those animals, contravening Section 29(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

Alternative practises were available instead of the prodder. The actions of that person were at the lower end of the scale in this type of ill-treatment offending, however. The matter had been thoroughly investigated. The ministry decided to formally warn the 35-year rodeo volunteer, who was elderly and had no criminal history.

"There is no reason to be believe this person will not comply in the future and utilise alternatives," Mr Mikkelsen added. "An advisory to the committee may be appropriate, however a formal warning will not be issued, as I do not believe the rodeo committee were complicit in this individual's actions.

That did not impress SAFE campaigns director Mandy Carter.

"At every single rodeo we see abuse of the most vulnerable of animals," she said. "In calf roping, weeks-old calves are forced to endure being chased, wrenched off their feet by ropes, slammed to the ground, then have their legs roughly tied together. Even worse, at the Mid Northern Rodeo they were goaded with painful electric shocks before even entering the arena.

"This kind of treatment of those that most need our protection cannot be allowed to continue. MPI must take urgent action to prohibit rodeo events, starting with calf roping."
Three formal warnings under the Rodeos Code of Welfare had led to the closure of the Huntly Rodeo, after officials stated that they could not guarantee the safety of the animals at future events, in 2014, she said.

Last year the MPI confirmed that seven rodeos had breached the Code of Welfare in the 2014/15 season, with numerous breaches in the following season. The ministry was still investigating complaints from 2016/17.

Lynn Charlton, from Anti Rodeo Action NZ, said the ministry was refusing to issue a warning to someone who had been shocking steers at the Warkworth rodeo claiming the footage wasn't clear.

"We disagree," she said.

"They're just hanging out one rodeo offender when many of them should be receiving these warnings."

Ms Carter said the images supplied to the MPI from the Mid Northern Rodeo included young calves being shocked with an electric prod while confined in a chute.

"Rather than the MPI relying on volunteer investigators to film and report cruelty to animals, we need urgent action to stop it happening in the first place," she said.

"The only way these animals will properly be protected is if rodeo is declared history.
Rodeo is inherently cruel. It's clear that people involved with rodeo are simply unable to even uphold the most meagre animal welfare regulations, so there is no alternative to a ban.

"Animals suffer for the entertainment of a minority. History shows that eventually these activities won't be tolerated by society. The repeated breaches of the Rodeos Code of Welfare, and this most recent warning, show that the regulations fall well short in protecting animals. The only real solution is a rodeo ban, with an immediate end to calf roping being a top priority."