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Animal welfare in Victoria: the death of two racing horses raises questions Animal welfare in Victoria: the death of two racing horses raises questions
(3 months later)
Elms was euthanised on Elms was euthanised on 25 May. Four days earlier, Show Dancer died under similar circumstances. Both were horses. Both were competing in jumps races in Victoria.
25 May. Four days earlier, Show Dancer died under similar Animal welfare is overwhelmingly a state matter in Australia. Nonetheless, the Australian federal government has persistently creeped into the picture. Moreover, national bodies such as the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), and national codes of practice regulating a wide variety of commercial animal uses, mean that throughout Australia there are few regional differences in the way animals are commercialised. Likewise, there is little variation in the extent to which animals are protected against harm.
circumstances. Both were horses. Both were competing in jumps races in Animal slaughter, the use of animals in research, the dimensions of a battery cage – all are largely the same around Australia. So when regional differences do show up, they spark questions about the source of these geographic anomalies.
Victoria. Some differences are easy to explain. For example, Freemantle is the only urban port that exports animals live. It is therefore naturally a lighting rod for anti-live export protests and home to Australia’s only specialist anti-live animal export campaign group.
Animal welfare The cause of other state-by-state variations are less self-evident. Each year, the ACT goes head-to-head with animal rights activists by commissioning the culling of kangaroos on government-managed nature reserves. The population control program rarely goes smoothly and this year is no exception. Animal rights activists have launched a legal challenge and are also vowing to occupy the reserves in order to obstruct shooters.
is overwhelmingly a state matter in Australia. Nonetheless, the Australian federal The ACT does not have a monopoly on kangaroo culls. But what makes this regional difference so note-worthy is that the "shoot to kill" order is issued by Greens minister Shane Rattenbury. His attitude towards kangaroo welfare is at odds with that of his near neighbours. The difference is so stark that NSW Greens convenor Hall Greenland has taken the extraordinary step of writing to Rattenbury asking him not to approve the cull. According to media reports, Rattenbury was unmoved.
government has persistently creeped into the picture. Moreover, national bodies Jumps racing is another regional anomaly. At one time jumps races took place around Australia. Now they are only lawful in South Australia and Victoria. On 22 May, the ABC quoted the former head of the South Australian Jockey Club, Steve Ploubidis as saying that "the days are numbered" for jumps racing in South Australia.
such as the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), If Ploubidis is right, that will leave Victoria as the only place in Australia where jumps racing remains legal. This is quite a significant national anomaly, considering that three horses have died in Victoria since the jumps racing season started on 17 March. It runs until late September and at the current mortality rate we can expect to see between three and four more horses tumble to their death before the season ends.
and national codes of practice regulating a wide variety of commercial animal When an animal dies trackside their death is highly visible. The blue screen is erected and next thing a shot rings out. Has the Melbourne Cup rendered the people of Victoria immune to horse deaths? Shouldn’t the fact that Melbourne has a public holiday in honour of horse racing have the opposite affect? The Victorian jumps racing anomaly is even more curious, given that restrictions on the use of the whip in thoroughbred racing apply throughout Australia. Both whipping and jumping harms horses, yet one is regulated in a consistent way throughout Australia, while the other is not.
uses, mean that throughout Australia there are few regional differences in the Victoria stands out on animal welfare grounds for other reasons. It is one of only four states that still allows duck shooting. South Australia has the dubious honour of, like Victoria, being both a jumps racing and duck hunting state. The other two are Tasmania and the Northern Territory. However, unlike all the other duck hunting states, Victoria is in a strong position and is not heavily dependent on tourism, including regional tourism, for its economic survival.
way animals are commercialised. Likewise, there is little variation in the The puzzle becomes even more intriguing when you recall that Victoria’s premier, Denis Napthine, is a vet by training. I am not aware of any other premier trained in veterinary medicine. Typically I equate such a background with enhanced animal welfare, but here it doesn’t appear to be the case.
extent to which animals are protected against harm. In a federation such as Australia, where something like animal welfare is left to the discretion of the states, regional differences are bound to appear. Indeed, perhaps the surprise is not that regional differences have sprung up, but rather that they are so few and far between. But the loss of two horses in jumps racing in Victoria in the past week is nonetheless a curiosity.
Animal slaughter, the use of animals in With so much going for it as a highly urbanised, modern, economically and politically powerful state, why does Victoria permit things to be done to animals that have long since been banned in other comparable places? I don’t know the answer, but I invite to you join me in puzzling over this particular Australian, regional anomaly.
research, the dimensions of a battery cage – all are largely the same around
Australia. So when regional differences do show up, they spark questions about the source of these geographic
anomalies.
Some differences are easy to explain. For
example, Freemantle is the only urban port that exports animals live. It is
therefore naturally a lighting rod for anti-live export protests and home to
Australia’s only specialist anti-live animal export campaign group.
The cause of other state-by-state variations
are less self-evident. Each year, the ACT goes head-to-head with
animal rights activists by commissioning the culling of kangaroos on government-managed nature reserves. The population control program rarely goes smoothly and
this year is no exception. Animal rights activists have launched a legal
challenge and are also vowing to occupy the reserves in order to obstruct
shooters.
The ACT does not have a monopoly on kangaroo culls. But what makes
this regional difference so note-worthy is that the "shoot to kill" order is
issued by Greens minister Shane Rattenbury. His attitude towards kangaroo welfare
is at odds with that of his near neighbours. The difference is so stark that NSW
Greens convenor Hall Greenland has taken the extraordinary step of writing to Rattenbury asking him not to approve the cull. According to media reports, Rattenbury was unmoved.
Jumps racing is another regional anomaly. At one
time jumps races took place around Australia. Now they are only lawful in South
Australia and Victoria. On 22 May, the ABC quoted the former head of the South Australian Jockey Club,
Steve Ploubidis as saying that "the days are
numbered" for jumps racing in South Australia.
If Ploubidis is right, that will leave Victoria as the only place in
Australia where jumps racing remains legal. This is quite a significant
national anomaly, considering that three horses have died in Victoria since the
jumps racing season started on 17 March. It runs until late September and at
the current mortality rate we can expect to see between three and four more horses
tumble to their death before the season ends.
When an animal dies
trackside their death is highly visible. The blue screen is erected and next
thing a shot rings out. Has the Melbourne Cup rendered the people of Victoria
immune to horse deaths? Shouldn’t the fact that Melbourne has a public holiday
in honour of horse racing have the opposite affect? The Victorian jumps racing
anomaly is even more curious, given that restrictions on the use of the whip in thoroughbred racing apply throughout Australia. Both whipping
and jumping harms horses, yet one is regulated in a consistent way throughout
Australia, while the other is not.
Victoria stands out on animal welfare
grounds for other reasons. It is one of only four states that still allows duck
shooting. South Australia has the dubious honour of, like Victoria, being both a
jumps racing and duck hunting state. The other two are Tasmania and the
Northern Territory. However, unlike all the other duck hunting states, Victoria
is in a strong position and is not heavily dependent on tourism, including
regional tourism, for its economic survival.
The puzzle becomes even more
intriguing when you recall that Victoria’s premier, Denis Napthine, is a vet by
training. I am not aware of any other premier trained in veterinary medicine. Typically
I equate such a background with enhanced animal welfare, but here it
doesn’t appear to be the case.
In a federation such as Australia,
where something like animal welfare is left to the discretion of the states,
regional differences are bound to appear. Indeed, perhaps the surprise is not
that regional differences have sprung up, but rather that they are so few and
far between. But the loss of two horses in jumps racing in Victoria in the past
week is nonetheless a curiosity.
With so much going for it as a highly
urbanised, modern, economically and politically powerful state, why does
Victoria permit things to be done to animals that have long since been banned
in other comparable places? I don’t know the answer, but I invite to you join
me in puzzling over this particular Australian, regional anomaly.