Please write to 60 Minutes and support PETA's opposition to farmer's cruel practices of mulesing

[Guest guest]

Last night on 60 Minutes (Australia) there was an interview with IngridNewkirk (PETA) about mulesing of sheep on some Australian farms wherefarmers put sheep into restraints and cut the skin off below their tails with no anesthetic. The sheep cry out in pain. Ingrid Newkirk spoke very articulately and made the point that if this process was done to a cat or dog the person cutting away the raw flesh would be jailed.At the end of the program, Ms Newkirk was served with a writ or summons? (I need to wait for a transcript of the program to go on-line) threateningher/{PETA) with future losses/damages to the Australian wool industry!! What bully-boy tactics by Australian farmers who are trying to stop Ms Newkirk and PETA from exposing their cruelty to animals.For a photo and description of Mulesing visit

http://www.animal-lib.org.au/lists/mulesing/mules.shtmlwhere you can also read two veterinarians opinions opposing mulesing.For the Australian 60 Minutes program on mulesing visit

http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/sixtyminutes/stories/2004_11_21/story_1284.aspForeign invader November 21, 2004 Reporter: Peter OvertonProducer: Lincoln Howes, Julia TimmsIngrid Newkirk believe's Australian sheep farmers are cruel and barbaric Out in the bush, they're asking "who the heck does this woman think she is", or words to that effect! Her name is Ingrid Newkirk. She's English, she lives in America and arguably, she's the most radical, most powerful animal rights activist in the world. The kind of campaigner who'll either have you cheering from your lounge chair or throwing heavy objects at the screen. Right now, this foreign invader has our sheep farmers firmly in her sights. To her, the way they treat their animals is cruel, crude, barbaric and has to

be stopped. And she's hellbent on wrecking the industry if she doesn't get her way. You can email 60 Minutes at 60minutesmailbag and support MsNewkirk's stand against the cruel mulesing of sheep and complain about the farming industry threatening her with legal threats over exposing their cruelty (PETA will ask US retail chains to boycott Australian wool).Ms Newkirk's expose of mulesing was excellent and the Australian sheepfarmers behind the legal threat against her/PETA are cowardly bullies who support cruelty to sheep. They are angry at being exposed for this cruelty and they should be jailed for hacking at the backsides of sheep.Here are the two veterinarians opinions from the Animal Liberation web site: Two vets speak out against

mulesing DR JOHN AUTY is a veterinarian with vast experience in the meat and sheep trade, who has also worked as an Agronomist, as a stud overseer in private practice, as Chief Commissioner for Soil Conservation and in the Department of Primary Industry. He says of Mulesing: "It is similar to flaying and the pain will beexperienced for weeks and months afterwards. Mulesing does not free thesheep from blowfly strike, but proper husbandry practices, including close inspection of sheep, will reduce and virtually eliminate flystrike." DR ROGER MEISCHKE is a vet surgeon who has practiced in the wool growing areas of NSW and for the Federal Department of Primary Industry. He now runs a small sheep stud. Dr Meischke is critical of mulesing. He says farmers who mules and breed from all sheep enable the susceptibility to flystrike to continue. He says: "Mulesing is an admission by

sheep breeders, that their animals do not possess the breeding required for survival in their area."