Animal rights group releases covertly filmed video it says shows abuse in shearing sheds across three states in Australia

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

The RSPCA has launched an investigation into footage that allegedly shows the severe abuse of sheep in numerous Australian shearing sheds.



The animal rights group Peta has released video it says was taken covertly in 19 shearing sheds in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

The footage shows sheep being roughly handled, punched in the face and stamped upon. One sheep was beaten with a hammer while another was shown having a deep cut crudely sewn up.

Peta said its investigators obtained had the images after gaining employment with farms and shearing contractors over the past year.

Claire Fryer, a campaign coordinator at Peta Australia, declined to tell Guardian Australia the exact location of the shearing sheds, citing concerns about the safety of the whistleblowers.

“I can say, though, that abuse was witnessed in each of the 19 shearing sheds and that a total of 70 staff were documented abusing sheep,” she said.

“We didn’t see any vet care for any of the sheep and despite, them putting up no resistance, they were horribly abused. Sheep are very gentle animals and this was terrifying for them.

“Shearers are unusually paid by volume, not by the hour, which encourages fast, rough work which cuts the bodies of sheep. Put simply, there is no such thing as humane wool. We’d urge Australians to leave wool out of their wardrobes entirely.”

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA confirmed it was investigating whether the video shows breaches of animal welfare laws, but would not put a timeframe on these deliberations.

“The vision made publicly available by Peta overnight shows sheep being beaten with shearing handpieces and thrown down a chute,” the RSPCA said.

“The allegations are serious and will be investigated by RSPCA inspectors as information comes to hand for potential breaches of the relevant state animal welfare legislation.”

Penalties for breaching animal welfare laws vary by state. For example, in NSW, the maximum penalty is a fine of $22,000 or five years in prison.

Barnaby Joyce, the federal agriculture minister, said questions needed to be asked about the way Peta obtained the footage and why it held on to it for so long before releasing it.

"One of the questions I ask is with the up-close shot of the man hitting the sheep, which is obviously exceptional and cruel and in many instances would be immediate dismissal, where exactly was the camera?" Joyce told the ABC.

"Did the person know that they were filmed? Were they actually part of process? There are lots of questions that need to be asked."

WoolProducers, the peak body for the wool industry in Australia, has been contacted for comment on the footage.

The Victorian government recently pledged to introduce new "ag gag" laws, which would crack down on the ability of animal rights activists to covertly film alleged abuses on farms.

Producers of eggs and pork have called for stricter penalties for people who obtain access to farms in order to film activity there. Andrew Spencer, chief executive of Australian Pork Limited, told the ABC in May that intrusions had been "very distressing" for farmers. He added: "It's like having your house burgled."

The Greens criticised Joyce, who recently indicated his own support for a form of “ag gag” law.

“Mr Joyce’s attack on Peta is a crude attempt to avoid cleaning up farming practices,” said the Greens senator Lee Rhiannon.

“He wants to punish people who expose cruelty to animals with harsher penalties than to those who actually commit the violence.

“Undercover investigators play an important role as exposure of animal cruelty helps highlight the need for improved farming practices."