The relative merits of keeping pets was, in general, entertaining, but bore little relevance to the original article by Ms Sharman. I think one of the points to be made is the world of difference between the protection accorded (by the authorities) to "companion" animals compared to that given to "farm ("food") animals. If you treated your cat or dog in any way approaching that in which pigs, sheep and cattle are treated, you would risk prosecution. Sow stalls, farrowing crates, "livestock" transports (with prior "curfews", which in animal speak means deprivation of food and water for many, many hours), no journey limita (animals transported from WA to Queensland), mulesing, appalling live exports (mostly on 20+ year old wrecks of ships to countries where there are no animal welfare safeguards such as we saw on "Sixty Minutes", battery hen cages, broiler sheds - the list is endless. I think it is a matter of perspective. "Companion animals" are more often than not loved and respected for themselves by their "enslavers", pity the hapless farm animals for being born into the wrong species. Some animals are definitely more equal than others, and the distinction is most obviously drawn by the RSPCA.

Exactly, Nicky- the profits of owning a pet are the emotional benefits we value, while farm animals are being kept merely for economical profits- farming is a business and businesses care primarily about high production and high profits.

Although the RSPCA is not at all ignoring the issue, I think their hands are tied as long as under the current law, these practices are legal.
I don’t know much about laws and what can be done to change them, but I figure that the government won’t care as long as people don’t complain. If enough people would write to the government about this issue and demand the issue is given attention, then things might start to change.

But people won’t care to write to the government if communities are not being made aware what is really happening to our farm animals.

A better life for our farm animals without putting our hard working farmers out of business is something we all try to should aspire to. Farmers need to live, too, and they need our support as much as we need or want their produce/dairy/meat etc.

On mulesing sheep: anyone know if there is an alternative that stops fly strike? From what I know mulesing needs to be done or sheep will be eaten alive by flying insects. Spraying the overhanging skin needs to be repeated frequently and is not as effective, as far as I know.
I'm not really against mulesing if there is no better alternative.
I just think that it should be policed that mulesing be done by experts only and like in Europe, local anesthetic should be used.

Anyway, I'm off to complain to the government!

Celivia

Thank you for pointing me to this post.

I am sorry the web pages were down.

They should be working now.

www.livexports.com
www.halakindmeats.com

There are many issues and little space so I will just answer a few questions.

1 Sheep> Wrong breed in the wrong country.

2 Extream people protesting against others eating meat and animals as pets hurts animals rather than helps.

3 Live exports sell our jobs to overeas destroying regional areas and jobs.

4 Intensive farming is cruel and causes diseases including bird flu.

5 The animal welfare act is over a hundred years old and even then its only recomneded codes of practise[ self regulated]

6 Many Ministers and polys are involved along with media gaints such as Murdoch[live exporter] Packers[ Live Expoters , Le Courts
[livexpoters] AWB live expoters]> Making it impossible to get the truth out to the public. John Howard made that possible three weeks after he was first elected]

7 Most of the people on the Animal Welfare boards have huge conflicts of interest.

8 RSPCA do not do the inspections for live exports or farm animals.

This is done by the DPI[State governments> More conflict of interests]

9 The Government mislead the public by saying Muslims require live animals . Despite the media R put out by the Muslims asking the Government to stop mis quoting and addmitt it is corperate greed through the trade dollar.
10. I read your comments and agree with you. If you ever have any time we would love to hear from you.

[ A Sincere Thank you Celivia ]

One More Thing.

Voiceless are a very new voice in Animal Welfare.

I of course have spoken with the author of this post.

Brian Shermann and his daughters are good people who are being misinformed.

To stop live exports and intensive farming we must stand by our farmers.

Vicious attacks and demonstrations with people lying naked in street malls with pretend blood over them at the Australian Meat conference arranged by Animal Liberation does nothing other than get farmers ,Government and otherwise sympathetic public off side.

It is a fact that 96 percent of people eat meat. They should not be made to feel guilty about that. Its totally counter productive.

Until Animal Welfare groups support free range farms and farmers nothing will change except people will rightfully get sick to death of Animal Welfare groups.

Farmers are the back bone of this country and we need to introduce incentives and encouragement to go back to free range and slaughter here in Australia instead of the cruel live exports.

PETA ,Animals Australia, Animal Liberation all refuse to work with pale hkm because we support the main stream attitude of the RSPCA.

People should be able to eat meat but also insist the proccess is as humane as possible.

The other problem with these groups is like everything else in life.
That is it becomes all about raising funds.

I again urge urge Katrina, Brian and Ondine of Voiceles to be seen as a independant group.

Distance yourselves from anti meat eating and support free range farmers who are doing tbhe right thing.

There is no doubt you are sincere however you should be seen as totally independant from the people they are known to work with.

Your donations to groups is a more than generous gesture to the animals but the one hundred and twenty thousand per year would be better spent on ads to inform the public or a good court case.

Best wishes and Gods speed in your efforts to improve animal welfare.

Wendy, further to our discussion on the other list, what comes
through is that you really haven't the foggiest, when it comes
to the scene in regional West Australia or how live exports
affect this state. I live right in the middle of this region,
so see what is happening every day. Armchair idealists like
yourself, out of touch with reality here and offering no
practical solutions for farmers or their sheep, are not
much better then Peta and similar.

Let me repeat again, until it sinks in, there are NO
meatworks in WA that could be reopened for sheep. There are
NO staff for them either, as even now, meatworks can't find
staff and overseas staff have been limited by Govt.

Right now, in the middle of a drought here, its live exporters
who are moving livestock out of the state (700'000 in the last
60 days), paying farmers fair value (up to 5 times more then
what meatworks pay) The net result is a win for farmers
and a win for the sheep, as the animals arn't starving,
as are so many on drought stricken farms.

You really need to update yourself on how the trade has
changed in the last couple of years, but then you are too
far away to be in touch with reality. Old boats are being
scrapped, new boats have far better facilities, far better
then most feedlots in Australia. Space provisions apply
onboard, stun guns are being introduced to meatworks in
the Middle East, etc. etc.

Stop comparing what happened over East with what is happening
in WA, they are like chalk and cheese.

If Hugh Wirth wants to debate the issue, he is free to write
an article for OLO and we can discuss it openly.

What farmers and sheep need is practical results, not lots
of hot air and ill informed rhetoric.

Yabby

Its clear is you have not looked at Wendys ;posts. I am a farmer and I see great oportunitys.

Dont worry we will re build a few plants in WA.

www.halakindmeats.com
www.livexports.com

Nicky

The RSPCA CEOs are paid by RSPCA National by way of contract.
.
This money is Federal Government grant money.

Their cars and holidays the same deal. A non Government organisation?

RSPCA do not inspect farm animals such as live exports at all! The DPI do> Thats State Government >yet DR Hugh Wirth asks for funds towards ban live exports projects?

They have raised millions but there is a loop hole in so much as they donations do NOT have to go to what you donated it for?

The are answerable to nobody except maybe Abez ["special minister' and Shultz who report directly to John Howard.

Mark Vaile and Downer are the ones responsible for live exports TRADE, not Minister Mcgauran.

Hugh Wirth President of WSPCA AND President of RSPCA Australia ?, David Bowles President of RSPCA UK a question for you both?
Why did you both swear your support for live exports to continue to the Minister for ag at the same time you launched your ban live Exports funding appeal to the public.?
ITS WELL PAST TIME FOR A OPEN PUBLIC ENQUIRY INTO RSPCA NATIONAL

PETA Nicky are fund raisers. The Government meet with Animals Australia because they know they are easily discredited and extream with their refusual to support free range farmers.

Andrew Bartlett works with peta and Animals Australia only or people with non meat eating agendas.[ pity]

Extream people who refuse to support free range farmers do more harm to the animals than anybody because then the Government rightfully presents them to the public through the media as extream.

That does not help the animals nor farmers.

To the host distance yourself from peta and others and support free range and the farmers will support you.