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Taranaki Activists Say ‘Nup To The Cup’
On Saturday the 6th of February, local animal rights group Taranaki Animal Save in partnership with Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, will be protesting outside the New Plymouth Raceway to highlight and condemn the cruel practice of horse racing.
“Practices such as horse
racing, which rely on the exploitation and systematic abuse
of animals, have no place in modern society.” said
Taranaki Animal Save spokesperson Elin Arbez.
“Behind
the glitz and glam of horse racing lies incredible suffering
and ultimately an early death for many racehorses. From a
young age, horses are forced to undergo training that can be
detrimental to their physical health, their still developing
bodies placed under unnatural stress and strain. The
horseracing industry denies these highly intelligent and
social animals the opportunity to display normal patterns of
behaviour. A right which is supposed to be guaranteed for
them under New Zealand’s animal welfare
legislation.”
“It is unfortunately all too common
for racehorses to suffer injuries on the track and these
injuries can mean the difference between life and death for
a horse. An injury as simple as a burst artery can be the
end of a horse’s racing career, and therefore the end of
its value to the horseracing industry. New Zealand
Thoroughbred Racing documented 19 deaths during the
2018/2019 racing season, however this only reflects the
number of horses who were euthanised on race day.
Potentially thousands more are killed every year by
euthanasia off-track.”
“In the best case
scenario, racehorses that avoid injury and euthanasia will
be rehomed at the end of their racing career, however many
are sent to slaughterhouses where they are processed into
pet food. All this suffering and needless death exists
purely so wealthy humans can gain entertainment and profit
from the exploitation and commodification of these
animals.
Horse racing belongs in the past
with other barbaric ‘sports’ we now recognise as
atrocious and vile, such as dog-fighting or
bear-baiting.
Join Taranaki Animal Save this Saturday as we take a public stand against this blood sport and demand an end to this harmful and heinous practice!”
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