Cruelty to Bulls
6 March 2004
NBC, the TV station that promised it has a
"commitment to compassion," has begun airing bull-riding events on
its sports lineup.
The announcers on these shows state that the bull is
"trained" to buck. This is a lie; the previously calm bull "bucks" due to a
strap or rough rope that is tightly cinched near his genitals, which causes
him pain. This is clearly seen on all bucking bulls - you will not see a
bull "buck" without the strap. Before the bull is released from the chute,
to make him appear "wild," his tail is viciously raked across the slates and
he is shocked with an electric prod.
The public does not see this part; I have. Others have
reported seeing the animal urinate and defecate in fear, and look
frantically for a way out. If this were done to dogs and cats, there would
be an outcry of protest across the land; why is it tolerated for bulls?
Please tell NBC you will not tolerate such cruelty on
their airwaves, just so they and some phony "cowboy" can make a buck. The
animals cannot speak for themselves. Such antiquated barbarism must go the
way of legal slavery and child labor.
Kiley Blackman, spokesperson
Animal Defenders of Westchester
Yonkers
Published in Times-Herald record,
www.recordonline.com:
