Independent Office of Animal Welfare
What is an Independent Office of Animal Welfare?
While Animal Liberation’s goal is to end all animal exploitation, we understand that this takes time and will happen with slow transitions. In the meantime, we need to reduce the suffering of all animals who are used and abused for human gain.
The introduction of an Independent Office of Animal Welfare will mean a new - and most importantly, impartial - department will advise, consult, investigate, lead, and coordinate animal welfare policies at a country, state, territory, and community level. They will have the power to shape policies and make decisions with the animals’ interests at heart.
Our current system is failing animals, and this desperately needs to change.
Why do we need an Independent Office of Animal Welfare?
Farmed animals are excluded from current laws.
Existing national frameworks of animal welfare law continue to excuse acts of outrageous cruelty inflicted on farmed animals in Australia. Right now, the system is based on a complete conflict of interest. The welfare of the animals is left up to the same people who profit off of their existence, and economic interests always take preference over animal welfare.
What is legal?
Below is a summary of the standard and legal practises used in farming these six common animals in Australia. For more, please visit the Issues page.
Chickens
Broiler chickens are kept confined to sheds with thousands of others, unable to exhibit their natural behaviours. They live amongst their waste and will never smell fresh air or feel sunlight on their skin. RSPCA approved chicken farms give chickens a perch and have lower stocking densities, however, the birds still suffer.
All chickens are killed at just 6-8 weeks old.
Sheep
Lambs can be castrated, have their tails cut off and are mulesed, all without pain relief. Sheep have been selectively bred to give birth to more than one lamb, despite knowing that mothers are unable to care for three babies, which causes them extreme stress. They are often given no shelter and are left to endure extreme weather. Sheep are typically made to give birth during winter, as it lowers the cost of feed for the farmer. An estimated 15 million lambs die every year due to exposure and malnutrition. Like cows, sheep can also be “finished” on feedlots, which is stressful and can cause illness.
Lambs are sent to slaughter at just 6 months old.
Cattle
Cattle used for beef can be dehorned, branded, castrated, and artificially inseminated without anesthesia. Approximately 35% are moved to feedlots, where they are kept confined to barren (and often muddy) pens for months. Unable to graze they are feed an unnatural diet of grains, which can cause illness in cattle.
Cows raised for beef are killed at just 18 months old.
Hens
Hens in the egg industry have their beaks seared off and are incarcerated in bare cages for the entirety of their short lives, afforded only a piece of paper of space each, never knowing how it feels to spread their wings or even see sunlight; unprofitable newborns are literally blended alive, suffocated, or gassed en masse.
Pigs
Newborn piglets can legally have their teeth clipped and tails cut off without anaesthetic or pain relief. Once they are weaned, they are moved to crowded grower pens. Breeding females are kept confined to sow stalls and farrowing crates. Boars used for semen collection are confined to stalls. All unable to exhibit their natural behaviours for their entire lives.
Pigs raised for food, are gassed alive or stunned before having their throats slit, at just 6 months old.
Dairy Cows
The dairy industry exploits mothers for their milk. A dairy cow is artificially inseminated and after a 9-month pregnancy, has her baby taken away in less than 24 hours. She is then repeatedly milked, while her baby is either killed, grown for veal or beef, or enters the dairy cycle.
When she is no longer able to produce babies or milk, she is sent to the slaughterhouse - often at 6 years old.
How can I help?
Stand with Animal Liberation, and thousands of other caring Australians, in calling for an Independent Office of Animal Welfare today: