ANIMALS’ ANGELS are present when approx 6700 sheep arrive on 10 trucks to the port for loading onto the Ocean Drover which will take them to the Middle East or Turkey. The animals will be killed without pre-stunning. A common problem is that the sheep are forced into pens which mean their backs are flat against the roof. They should be able to stand without touching the overhead structures. Many newly shorn sheep arrive with fresh open cuts on their legs. These sheep should never have been transported to the port for loading. Lack of inspection at the feedlot and thorough monitoring and enforcement by the Federal Officers is to blame. Unloading isn’t delayed, the trucks move immediately to the ramps, but the drivers are not checking the wellbeing of their animals before they unload. The state regulator was not present and AQIS the Federal regulator was not observed.
