Live goat exports exposed

Few Australians would realise that right now, in rural areas across the country, wild goats are being rounded up, packed in crates, and exported for slaughter. Even fewer have ever seen inside this trade.

In May 2013, Animals Australia conducted our first ever investigation in Malaysia — Australia's largest live export market for goats. Once again, we discovered that the new live export 'rules' are being blatantly disregarded. And as a result, animals have been left totally exposed to cruel treatment.

Across 6 facilities in Malaysia, goats were filmed being roughly handled; stuffed into bags and car boots; and sold into unapproved facilities — often with their ear tags removed to conceal this clear breach of export regulations.

Like so many animals in the live trade, in their final moments of life, these goats had their throats cut whilst still conscious. You won't witness such graphic vision in this video, but you will feel their pain, sense their fear and hear their cries.

When we exposed this cruelty, former Minister for Agriculture, Joe Ludwig, claimed that "99%" of exported animals are treated "humanely". This could not be further from the truth. With political parties who unwaveringly defend this trade, with regulations fundamentally failing to protect animals everywhere we look, it would appear that live exporters are getting away with 99% of the cruelty in this trade.

But with your help, we can ensure they can't get away with it anymore. Every investigation, every email and phone call to a politician — every action you take — brings us a step closer to ending this trade in cruelty.

UPDATE February 2014 — Government investigation finds breaches of welfare standards. Read more »

Please send an urgent message to our political leaders, calling on them to spare animals from such cruelty, by supporting a ban on live export.