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Animal cruelty controversies in rodeo are legion and have been noted since organized rodeo's earliest days in the nineteenth century. Since the 1950s, the American Humane Association (AHA) has worked with the rodeo industry (specifically, the PRCA) to establish rules improving animal cruelty in rodeo and the treatment of rodeo animals. These rules are printed annually in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rule book. With the unprecedented growth of rodeo in the 1970s, animal cruelty complaints exploded. Today, animal cruelty complaints in rodeo are still very much alive, and continue to be a source of aggravation to the rodeo industry.

Context

James Sperell stated in his In the Company of Animals:

"It is perhaps exaggerated to claim, as one author has, that the rodeo is 'the modern equivalent of the public hanging'. Nevertheless, these performances hinge on the violent subjugation of living animals, some of which are deliberately incited to frenzied violence by raking them with spurs, constricting the genital region with leather straps, or by thrusting an electric prod into the rectal area. At the same time they are often given bogus, malevolent names in order to deflect sympathy from their plight. Occasionally, they are maimed or killed, and many are forced to undergo the same terrifying ordeal several times a day. Yet the rodeo is presented to the American public as a harmless, red-blooded entertainment in which the cowboy – the epitome of wholesome, manly virtue – uses his courage and skill to overcome and subdue untamable, outlaw stock. Doubtless, the Romans employed similar fantasies to justify their activities in the Circus Maximus.

Protests were first raised regarding animal welfare in the 1870s, and, beginning in the 1930s, some states enacted laws curtailing rodeo activities and other events involving animals. In the 1950s, the then Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA, later the PRCA) worked with the American Humane Association (AHA) to establish regulations protecting the welfare of rodeo animals that were acceptable to both organizations. These regulations appear in the PRCA's annually-updated rule book. But rodeo saw its greatest growth in the 1970s and with it a rise in animal cruelty complaints. The PRCA and AHA have insinuated that these charges exist solely for the fund-raising purposes of other humane interest groups. The protests and complaints have made the PRCA realize that public education regarding rodeo and the welfare of animals needs to be undertaken if rodeo is to survive.

In his "Author's Note" to Chasing the Rodeo: On Wild Rides and Big Dreams, Broken Hearts and Broken Bones, and One Man's Search for the West (2005, 2006) author W.K. Stratton states, "Without question, rodeo exploits animals for the entertainment of humans, causing injury and death to hundreds of horses and cattle each year." Stratton notes that as many as a dozen head of steer and calves will die annually at a single large rodeo like the Calgary Stampede, and that many valuable roping horses have died over the years at the Pendleton Roundup which is conducted on slippery grass. He also points out that while PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) characterizes rodeo as "cruelty for a buck", conservative Matthew Scully, a special assistant to and former speechwriter for President George W. Bush as well as author of Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy calls rodeo "gratuitous abuse of animals". Stratton notes that he attended twenty plus rodeos and bullriding events in researching his book and saw "animals injured in the arena, some badly enough that they had to be destroyed."

Independent assessments

In 1990, the Toronto City Council requested the Toronto Medical Officer on Health to report on rodeo practices and whether "such practices could be deemed cruel to animals" when a major rodeo was planned for the Toronto Sky Dome, Ontario, Canada. The officer found pleasure not to be an element in an animal's experience in rodeo as electric prods, flank straps, sharpened sticks, spurs and other tack were used to provoke animals into reacting in such a way as to make certain events thrilling for spectators. The officer further noted that guidelines instituted to prevent animal abuse at sanctioned rodeos were paid little heed and calfs suffered damage not readily visible such as bruised tracheal cartilege in roping events. All bucking events were found by the Medical Officer to rely on the application of irritants to make the animals "fly" from the chutes. The Medical Officer stated in his summary that in terms of a dictionary definition of cruelty most rodeo events have the potential to cause injury, grief, or pain, and therefore can be considered cruel. Though the Medical Officer did not say that the legal definition of cruelty had been met, he implied that it had been "reached, if not crossed."

Animal welfare positions

A number of humane, animal rights, and animal welfare organizations have policy statements that oppose many rodeo practices, and often the events themselves. Some also claim that rodeo regulations vary from vague to ineffective, and are frequently violated. A set of concerns surround non-traditional rodeo events that operate outside the rules of sanctioning organizations such as amateur events such as mutton busting, calf dressing, wild cow milking, calf riding, chuck wagon races, and other events designed primarily for publicity, half-time entertainment or crowd participation.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) takes a position of opposition to all rodeos and rodeo events:

"The HSUS opposes rodeos as they are commonly organized, since they typically cause torment and stress to animals; expose them to pain, injury, or even death; and encourage an insensitivity to and acceptance of the inhumane treatment of animals in the name of sport. Accordingly, we oppose the use of devices such as electric prods, sharpened sticks, spurs, flank straps, and other rodeo equipment that cause animals to react violently, and we oppose bull riding, bronco riding, steer roping, calf roping, "wild horse racing," chuck wagon racing, steer tailing, and horse tripping."

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

PETA criticizes the United States military in its annual expenditure of approximately $2 million to support the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). The Army's goal is apparently the recruitment of new soldiers by sponsoring rodeo contestants, and providing public relations and pageantry support. PETA notes American tax dollars are fueling "horrific and cruel rodeo events" and that rodeo typically uses gentle animals who are driven to wild behavior through the application of spurs, flank straps, prods, and tail-twisting. PETA observes rodeo animals suffer fear and pain.

PETA has used some unusual methods to make its point. Moments after being crowned, Miss Rodeo America 2000 had a chocolate tofu 'cow pie' smashed in her face by a PETA member. PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement that Miss Rodeo America should relinquish her crown for promoting cruelty to animals. "Now that she's got pie on her face, we hope Miss Rodeo America will find a little compassion in her heart," Newkirk said. The pageant is held in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo, an event PETA annually protests claiming the sport exploits animals.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

The ASPCA has a policy statement on rodeo events that reads:

"The ASPCA is opposed to all rodeo events that involve cruel, painful, stressful and potentially harmful treatment of livestock, not only in performance but also in handling, transport and prodding to perform. The ASPCA recognizes the cruel treatment inflicted on many additional animals in the process of practicing to compete in rodeo events. Further, the ASPCA is opposed to children’s rodeo events such as goat tying, calf riding and sheep riding (“mutton busting”), which do not promote humane care and respect for animals."

The American Humane Association (AHA)

The American Humane Association (AHA) used to campaign against rodeo through anti-rodeo literature but changed its strategy in the 1950s and began working with rodeo to establish rules to ensure the humane treatment of livestock. The rules are updated as needed and published annually in the PRCA's rule book. The AHA believes the exploitation of animals begins when "animals, people, and money" are mixed together, and what progress has been made is ascribed to a change in people's attitudes in general and the urban and college background of modern rodeo participants. Moral philosopher Peter Singer has criticized the AHA for collaborating with rodeo and thereby lending respectability to its cruelties. The AHA has strict requirements for the treatment and use of animals in movie rodeo scenes. The use of electric prods and other artificial stimuli to make an animal perform are forbidden, for example.

Responses

The PRCA admits it only oversees about a third of the actual rodeos that occur in the United States annually, and, according to their own public relations information, the organization has taken steps to improve the welfare of animals. The organization claims that most rodeo animals enjoy what they're doing. The PRCA's regulations and rules require, among other things, provisions for injured animals, veterinarians on site at PRCA sanctioned rodeos, and spurs with dulled, free-spinning rowels. Health regulations mandate vaccinations and blood testing of animals crossing state lines, and sick or injured animals are given appropriate veterinary care.

In response to animal welfare and animal cruelty concerns, a number of cities and states have passed ordinances and laws aplicable tp rodeo. In September 2000, California became the first state to prohibit the use of prods on any animal in a chute. Stringent regulations have virtually eliminated rodeo in Rhode Island, a state which also stipulates that any individual convicted of animal cruelty in a rodeo cannot participate as a rodeo contestant. While there is no record in any state of anyone being convicted of cruelty to animals during the course of a rodeo, several states—Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming—all exempt rodeo from its anticruelty laws, making such convictions impossible. Eleven of the states immunize rodeo events from the provisions of the law, while Utah excludes rodeo animals from the definition of 'animal' in its anitcruelty laws. Idaho has declared exhibitions that are commonly considered acceptable cannot be charged with cruelty to animals.

After a video aired on NBC showing a bull breaking its leg in a 1991 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania rodeo, the city banned controversial rodeo tack, specifically electric prods or shocking devices, flank or bucking straps, wire tie-downs, and sharpened or fixed spurs or rowels. Pittsburgh also requires humane officers be provided access to any and all areas where animals may go–specifically pens, chutes, and injury pens.

Fort Wayne, Indiana does not allow anyone to conduct a rodeo within the city limits. In 1998, Woodstock, Illinois made fighting or wrestling with any animal illegal, thus ending steer wrestling. Ohio has restricted some rodeo practices, having outlawed unpadded flank and bucking straps and the use of electric prods on cattle and horses. Rodeo was banned in the United Kingdom in 1934 when Parliament passed the Protection of Animals Act. Baltimore, Maryland, Southampton, New York, and Pompano Beach, Florida have enacted legislation banning certain rodeo tack including bullwhips. St. Petersburg, Florida has banned rodeo within the city limits—the only complete ban on rodeo in the United States.

Notes

1. Serpell: 225
2. Westermeier: 435ff
3. Stratton: 300–302
4. Armstrong: 489
5. HSUS
6. Aguilar: 157
7. AP
8. ASPCA
9. Fredricksson: 169
10. AHA
11. Serpell: 225
12. PRCA
13. Curnutt: 268
14. Curnett: 272
15. Curnutt 272
16. PETA
17. PETA
18. PETA
19. Curnutt: 273
20. Curnutt: 272

References

• Aguilar, Rose (2008). Red Highways: A Liberal's Journey into the Heartland. Sausalito: PoliPoint Press. ISBN 978-0-9794822-7-4. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). "Animals in Entertainment: Rodeo". American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
• American Humane Association. "Events and Contests Involving Animals" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-03-10.
• Armstrong, Susan Jean (2001). The Animal Ethics Reader. London and New York: Routledge. Retrieved 2009-03-12. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Associated Press. "Protestor Hits Rodeo Queen with Tofu 'Pie'; PETA Member Detained Briefly". Free Online Library. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
• Curnutt, Jordan (2001). Animals and the Law. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1-57607-147-2. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
• Fredricksson, Kristine (1985). American Rodeo. Texas A&M University. ISBN 0-89096-181-6. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) (2009). "Statement on Animals in Entertainment and Competition: Rodeo". The Humane Society of the United States. Retrieved 2009-03-017. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). "Buck the Rodeo". People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
• Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). "PRCA Animal Welfare Rules and Discussion". Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
• Serpell, James (1996). In the Company of Animals. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-57779-9. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
• Stratton, W.K. (2005, 2006). Chasing the Rodeo: On Wild Rides and Big Dreams, Broken Hearts and Broken Bones, and One Man's Search for the West. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0156031213. Retrieved 2009-03-10. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Westermeier, Clifford P. (1947,1987). Man, Beast, Dust. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-4743-5. Retrieved 2009-03-09. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

• Animals in Rodeo
• PRCA Animal Welfare Rules: Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
• Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Animal Welfare
• PETA Media Center Rodeo: Cruelty for a Buck

• Misplaced Pages neutral point of view disputes from March 2009
• Animal cruelty
• Rodeo