Join the call to end live export cruelty.

Every year hundreds of millions of animals around the world are exported live for slaughter. They not only suffer on lengthy sea journeys but our investigations have revealed the terrible fate that can await them in destination countries.

It has never made sense – logical or ethical – to send animals on risky sea voyages half way around the world just to be killed for their meat when they arrive at their destination. In fact it was back in 1985 that an Australian government committee concluded that on animal welfare grounds alone, live export should end.

But the industry’s greatest strength, and the very thing that leaves animals so vulnerable, has been that its activities occur far out of sight of caring Australians – on the open ocean and in countries thousands of kilometres away.

An end to live sheep export in sight…

Animals Australia’s first live export investigation in 2003 lifted the lid on this veil of secrecy and exposed the suffering caused by live export.

It would take dozens more  investigations, multiple major media exposés and a shipping catastrophe that rocked the nation, before an Australian government would take significant action to curb the cruelty endemic to this trade.

That action will come in the form of a phase out of the live export of sheep – a policy that the Albanese government has committed to but is yet to announce a timeline for.

What about the live export of other animals?

Some of the worst cruelty we’ve documented has been inflicted on exported Australian cattle. When Animals Australia first began investigating the live export trade, the tendon slashing and eye stabbing of our cattle in Egypt was the routine method of disabling animals prior to slaughter.

In 2011, we exposed the brutal treatment of Australian cattle in Indonesia, with much of the suffering occurring through the use of slaughter-boxes installed by our own live export industry.  It was this investigation that sparked the new regulatory regime and rapid uptake of preslaughter stunning for animals exported to the region.

But even since then we’ve documented the sledgehammering of cattle in Vietnam, the live-hoisting of cattle in Israel and the roping slaughter of cattle in Mauritius and Malaysia. Live export vets have also spoken of the suffering of cattle during lengthy sea voyages.

And we’ve  conducted more than a dozen investigations into the treatment of exported cattle from other countries including Brazil, Romania and Germany – with our evidence supporting the efforts of colleague groups to end live export from their countries.

By adding your name to this petition you are declaring your support for a world that is kind to animals – a world free from the cruelty of live animal export.

* Please note that the purpose of this petition is to provide a visible indicator of the weight of public support behind ending live animal export and that the names of signatories are not forwarded.