EXPOSED! Racing industry's 'systematic horse exploitation, injury and destruction'
The chase after vast financial rewards by the global horse racing industry's dominant forces has led to over-production of a swift but physically weak Thoroughbred, according to a major new report, Bred To Death, published on 28 September by Animal Aid.
Many of the 'defective' newborns end up slaughtered for meat, while a significant proportion of those who do enter racing suffer a high level of fatal injuries and stress-related illnesses.
Two breeding operations now dominate the global horse racing industry - Darley and Coolmore. Between them they own more than 100 breeding stallions and produce about 10% of all Thoroughbreds in world racing. Their share of the closely-linked British and Irish racing scenes is even more worrying. Their stallions are mated with nearly half of the entire mare population in those countries.
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Victory for Animals! Wyevale takes ethical step to stop the sale of animals
Following a 16-month campaign by Britain's largest animal rights group Animal Aid, Wyevale Garden Centres has announced a new policy decision to stop selling live animals in its stores. Animal Aid is absolutely delighted by this announcement, which marks the second major success in its campaign to afford better protection for domestic animals. A three-year campaign against DIY chain Focus also culminated in the company ceasing to sell live animals in 2005.
This latest victory marks an important step forward for the cause of animal welfare. Wyevale, as well as being the country's leading chain of garden centres, is the second biggest retailer of pets in the country, with animals being sold in approximately half of its 115 stores. Garden centres are totally unsuitable environments in which to sell animals. They encourage impulse buying by customers who will have gone to purchase plants, not pets. Animals bought on a whim often find themselves neglected and/or abandoned at already hard-pressed rescue centres once the novelty has worn off. Furthermore, based on its detailed research, Animal Aid has found that staff in such establishments are frequently unable to provide even the most basic advice on husbandry and may be ignorant of the often-complex physical and emotional requirements of the animals being sold. This is especially the case with exotic birds, available in some Wyevale centres.
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