Rodeo Focus of Animal Cruelty Investigation Videotape Allegedly Shows Shocking Device Used On Bulls



POSTED: 5:04 p.m. PDT July 17, 2003

UPDATED: 5:55 p.m. PDT July 17, 2003



SAN DIEGO -- Organizers of the Valley Center Rodeo are the focus of a animal cruelty investigation, 10News reported.



The rodeo was held in May and the crime allegedly occurred during the bull riding competition.





Home video apparently reveals a device being used to shock the animals into performing better.



The video was obtained exclusively by 10News and shows a man jabbing at a bull several times in the chute with some sort of electrical device.



"It delivers between five- and six-thousand volts of electricity to the animal," animal rights activist Pat Vinet said.



Vinet is a volunteer for a group called Showing Animals Respect And Kindness (SHARK).



"I feel angry. I feel nothing but contempt for these people," she added.



Vinet said she felt the animals' pain as she videotaped the competition.



"If you take this device and you put it to some piece of metal with paint on it, sparks fly and eats the paint right off the surface. It's painful stuff. It hurts," Vinet said.



Vinet said she has seen similar incidents at six rodeos in Southern California during the last year.



"They do their level best to keep the American public thinking this is just good clean wholesome fun. It's nothing remotely (like) that," she said.



Valley Center Rodeo organizers told 10News that a subcontractor based in Riverside brought in the animals and that person was also responsible for handling the bulls during the event.



Gina Mitchell from the Valley Center Rodeo issued the following statement to 10News.



"They knew nothing about it and as animal lovers, don't condone any type of abuse to animals. They're very sorry and it breaks their heart to think it happened."



The San Diego Humane Society, which is heading the investigation, said even if organizers were not aware that the device was being used, that may not clear them of any wrongdoing.



"The law provides that management is responsible if something like this were to take place," Humane Society spokeswoman Gigi Bacon Theberge said.



She also said it may take a while before any charges are filed in the case, 10News reported.

Copyright 2003 by TheSanDiegoChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

I moved this thread because it seems more appropriate here in AR.

I can't believe 60% of the people that voted in the poll in that link said the animals are treated humanely. How blind and hearltess can you be?!



Cassie

Oh PLEEEZZ!

Anyone involved in rodeo on any level has no right to claim they are animal lovers.

interesting...



you can vote more than once...



If you remove cookies and visit the site again.

I agree with dvmarie.






Cool,



That is not so secure.

RODEOS SUCK!



They don't need an extra device ..... the basic nature this activity is inhumane.



It amazes me that it's only because a shock device is used that this is getting people up in arms or attention on the news. The whole concept of these "sports" is inhumane. How can people be entertained by this garbage.



What a load of crap when they read some of the letter from the organizer when they said 'it breaks our heart' that this was done ...



that's BS!

I wonder if they got enough votes that anything will happen because of that poll?



Cassie

yes no



57 / 43 % now.

Internet polls are meaningless. Sad but true.



I live in a huge rodeo city. An average of four animals die each year at the Calgary Stampede. I protested the event for the first time this year and hope to every year from now on. If rodeo comes to your town I advise you to speak out and inform people about how cruel it is.

I wonder how the numbers would look for circuses. People are so easily misled...

Peebs,



I'm in Edmonton and protested the CFR last year. I was spit on, yelled at, cursed on, told to get a job, etc. There were several people I said, "Kindly step out of my personal space. I am willing to listen to your comments, but do not do so 5 cm from my face."



What surprises me is that "get a job" was shouted at us a lot. LOL



It did upset me to see people getting their 5 year olds to give us the middle finger, tell us to f-off, etc.



A few people stopped and talked to us. They were kind and considerate and, although they did not agree with what we were saying, were very mature in talking to us.

Yeah there were lots of idiots, including one guy who told me I was "in the wrong city and should go out East where [I] belong." I was born in Calgary, dammit! Had to put up with some stupid teenagers who yelled things too (from a safe distance of course). I can't believe someone actually spit on you. If someone did that to me they'd spend the rest of Stampede in the hospital. People shouted "get a job/life" a lot too. I noticed that stupidest, most pro-rodeo people had the least teeth. Coincidence?

Until any animal can talk and tell us it wants to entertain, we should leave them the hell alone!

I am involved in a campaign to retire Lolita the Killer Whale from the Miami Seaquarium. We demonstrate weekly and hand out flyers to cars entering the park. Several times during the day we'll get people driving by and giving us the finger, telling us to [various expletives]. Once last week a guy on a bike rode by and just started yelling, "Get a life, get a life". Just when I think I'm doing something productive, I'm outdone by a guy out for recreation. Now, there's only one exit on the island so I knew he'd pass by again. I was informed of his return by the tell-tale cry of "Get a life". This time I leapt into action. Quickly making up ground and then keeping pace for several blocks I quized the man on what he meant by "Get a life". He had little to say once he was no longer in the safety of his speeding bicycle.



I believe the same schoolyard mentality remains with most people throughout their lives. It is certainly easier to harass and insult others than it is to understand and be tolerant.

So I wonder if they won't use this subcontractor again, seems like if they were so sorry and broken-hearted they would have included that in their statement.

I too am always disheartened to see how many people condone particular animal uses, but I like to look at the obverse as well. What I think is an amazing 40% thought the animals could be treated better. Thats not too shabby.



Another thing to remember is that internet polls are not scientific or representative. Many times in an instance such as this a rodeo organization will be alerted as to the polls existence and place a link to it on their website. Of course most people who visit a rodeo website are sympathetic towards it and vote accordingly. Of course it happens the other way as well because animal rights groups do the same.



In the end, try not to get too upset. I only wish this poll was truly accurate as 40% of the population would be enough to bring any organization to its knees.



Take care.

I hate rodeos. I hated them even before I became veg. There are just so, so meaninglessly cruel.

I'm always in such a horrible temper when the have it in my city. Can't help myself (sigh)

Wow. I live in Santa Barbara and it is Fiesta right now. During Fiesta weekend there are Rodeos. Then the next week Circus Vargas comes to town. It is always a hard time for me to see my town that I love so much particpate in such cruel activities. Every year I protest and every year I get both support and hecklers. It actually seems there are more supporters than non which makes me wonder how this practice still happens

Thought I'd share this...



http://www.peta-online.org/feat/pinup/dt/bonnie-800.jpg

I wish people would just leave the animals alone. That's the only way they'll ever be happy.

You might look this organization up if you havent done so already. I just came from the Animal Rights Conference in Los Angeles and I was impressed by how active they were. They follow Circus Vargus for a year protesting. Give'em a try, I think you may well enjoy it.



Animal Defense League of Los Angeles

http://www.animaldefense.com/



Take care and keep up the protest.



Jeremy

People make me sad...very very sad....

Btw, unfortunately, the poll, as of the time of this post, is 80% ignorance, 20% aware.

Yes- 80%



No-20%



I always have hated rodeos they are making a sport out of an upset hurt animal just to look like abunch of rugged cowboy hicks

LOOSERS!

Hehe, Bonnie-Jill Laflin (really nice lady by the way). She's not only a pinup model, she's a former XFL, NFL and NBA cheerleader and did a starring role in a pretty brutal DVD "slasher" type horror interactive video game (Virtual Prey)



Even though it's only a game, Mature Audiences only please:

http://www.virtualprey.com/

Rodeo's are just so moronic and normaly full of hill billys look at the show "King of the Hill". I hope to protest at this horse racing event they have every year in South Australia. I'm very much against horse races how would you like a midget whipping your ass?

(sorry if I offended anyone by saying all Jockeys are midgets but on The Simpsons theres the Jockey people who live in the fibre glass tree and sing)