Footage allegedly reveals 'sickening' abuse at country saleyard
Victoria's livestock welfare regulator is investigating 81 allegations against the Bendigo Livestock Exchange arising from video filmed as part of a seven-month-long investigation by an animal welfare group.
Whistleblower footage has revealed alleged animal welfare breaches at the Bendigo Livestock Exchange, a sheep saleyard in Victoria, Australia. The videos, obtained by Sheep Advocate Australia (SAA), allegedly show a person punching a sheep, dead and dying animals being ignored, and the use of unmuzzled dogs. SAA compiled the footage into a 40-page report and lodged it with Agriculture Victoria, along with 81 formal complaints.
Agriculture Victoria has confirmed it is investigating the allegations, but the department has stated it will consider a range of mitigating and aggravating factors before deciding whether rules have been breached. Two animal welfare experts have described the video as "not a good look" for the Victorian industry, but they are not certain that the footage violates specific laws.
SAA claims it counted over 233 dead sheep over 20 sale days at the Bendigo yards between November and May. The founder of SAA, Gary Hall, has called for new laws to punish farmers who transport unfit animals to saleyards and for councils to be responsible for lodging complaints when such animals arrive on-site. Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell has called for an independent body to investigate animal cruelty allegations in the state, stating that the current situation is akin to the fox guarding the hen house.
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