Greens animal welfare spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has reacted to the suffering of racehorses in today’s Melbourne cup. Rostropovich is reported to have suffered a cracked pelvis and was rushed to an equine clinic while Prince Of Arran was whipped to the point that jockey Michael Walker received a seven-meeting ban and $10,000 fine.
“When animals and gambling mix, animals always suffer,” Senator Faruqi said.
“This is just so tragically predictable. Year after year we see the needless suffering of horses, yet nothing changes. I really hope Rostropovich recovers fully.”
“Cruel practices like whipping happen every day in the horse racing industry, just as horses are pushed to the point of injury – all for the sake of a bet.
“Today’s suffering at the Melbourne Cup is yet more evidence we need a Royal Commission into cruelty in the horse racing industry. I’ll be calling on the Senate to support a Royal Commission when Parliament sits again next week. If the major parties care about animal welfare and preventing the kind of suffering they saw today they will support my call,” she concluded.
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