The Clydesdale horses used in Budweiser ads will no longer have their tails painfully severed, company Anheuser-Busch said.
The announcement follows an investigation by the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which documented docking — or amputating a bony part of the horse’s tail — at breeding and training facilities in Missouri.
Following public pressure, Anheuser-Busch announced an end to the brutal practice.
“The practice of equine tail-docking was discontinued earlier this year,” the company said in a statement. “The safety and well-being of our beloved Clydesdales is our top priority.”
Multiple organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners, have denounced tail docking as the amputation does nothing to help the horse and actually hinders equines’ ability to protect themselves from insects, including flies.
Ten U.S. states have banned the cruelty, while numerous other countries — including Belgium and Germany — have outlawed it nationwide.
“This victory comes after dozens of PETA protests, nationwide ad campaigns, and pleas from more than 121,000 concerned consumers,” said PETA Senior VP Kathy Guillermo. “It sends a message to other companies that animal abuse doesn’t sell.”
Lady Freethinker applauds this step forward, but it’s our view that no horse should be forced to “work.” There’s still so much left to do to ensure that sensitive and smart horses have the lives they deserve!
If you haven’t already, please sign our petition urging San Diego to cancel plans for a rodeo planned for 2024, and our petition urging Charleston, South Carolina, to ban horse-drawn carriages!
