24.09.2012 | Australia, Fremantle, WA

ANIMALS’ ANGELS are present when approx 30,150 sheep arrive on 49 transports to the port for loading onto the Ocean Drover which will take them to Qatar. The animals will be killed without pre-stunning. This ship has just returned from Pakistan where 22000 sheep were off loaded. News reports state that thousands of Australian sheep were “clubbed, stabbed, buried alive“. Today there are new drivers replacing many previous drivers who are no longer delivering to the port. These new drivers are loading more animals and this is evidenced by the welfare problems we observe: sheep on sheep, sheep unable to move, legs in the air and many sheep that seem unable to rise. In response to the animal welfare disaster in Pakistan, it appears as part of the conditions imposed by the Govt on the exporter responsible; Wellard Rural had to replace contractors with vets to check animals at the drafting race. Consequently the exporter employed 4 vets. We document more animals rejected from live export leaving the port than we have during any other loading. Sadly we do not observe the exporter’s vets checking the conditions of transport upon arrival of the trucks. Some drivers walk around the outside of their trucks but few climb the sides of their trucks to check animals on upper levels. AQIS is present but the State regulator DAFWA are not in attendance until 1pm. After they arrive we try to contact them concerning several welfare issues but they fail to respond in time.