Farm Transparency Project (FTP) has released undercover
footage confirming the ruthless slaughter of both
thoroughbreds and standardbreds at a property in Northern
Victoria. The sickening footage shows horses being
shot in plain sight of other panicked horses and then taken
away for processing at a nearby abattoir.
The
kill buyer is well known to the racing
industry.
“This sickening footage demonstrates the
failure of the racing industry to address the welfare
concerns of thousands of horses that leave racing every
year.” Said Elio Celotto, Campaign Director for the
Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses
(CPR).
“Without a comprehensive retirement program
for all racehorses, it is inevitable that thousands will be
ruthlessly killed as they always have- nothing has
changed.”
“Current rules of racing prohibit
racehorses from being sent directly to knackeries or
slaughterhouses, however it doesn’t stop middlemen from
taking possession of ex-racehorses and on selling them to
knackeries.”
“Without a viable market for
ex-racehorses, the routine slaughter of racehorses will
continue unabated. The racing industry has created this
problem and they need to be made
accountable.”
“The fact remains that approximately
10,000 racehorses leave the racing industry ever year and
nobody knows where they are except perhaps the kill buyers
and knackeries who clean up the racing industry’s
mess.”
“There is a very good reason why the racing
industry does not disclose any data about retiring
racehorses, because if the public new the truth, they simply
would not have an industry.”
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“All Australians
should be appalled that these horrific practices are still
taking place but the reality is they have never stopped,
they’ve just got better at hiding it.”
Racing
Victoria has a euthanasia program, Onsite Humane Euthanasia
Program (OHEP) that allows owners of registered
thoroughbreds to have their horses killed and disposed of at
no charge. It’s an expedient way to liberate a horse owner
of their responsibility to the horse so they can buy another
one. Racing Victoria refuses to disclose any information
about this program.
CPR has repeatedly requested
meetings with Racing Victoria to discuss horse welfare but
have declined on every occasion.
CPR will be
demonstrating at the main entrance at Flemington on Derby
Day with screens showing the horrific footage recently
captured.
