Running head: RODEOS ARE ANIMAL ABUSE 1

Rodeos are Animal Abuse: Proposal Essay

Name

University of Texas at El Paso

Date
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Rodeos are Animal Abuse: Proposal Essay

Rodeos harm and kill animals in a very cruel way and it is one of the most extreme sport

in America where men are “in the most exciting seconds of their lives”. There are different types

of rodeos which include: calf roping, bull riding, barrel racing and steer wrestling. All of this

sports hurt animals such as bulls, horses and calves in a brusque and inhumane way. These kinds

of sports should be stopped because animals should not be treated as an object, they are a living

thing just like us, and they feel everything. This quote by Anthony Douglas speaks for itself,

“There was a time where animals ran toward us, now they run away from us,” it is a problem that

should concern society because we cannot permit our children, to grow up thinking it is “okay”

to treat animals that way. Rodeos can be stopped by participating in protests of this type to create

consciousness in people and supporting organizations dedicated to protect animals.

There are different types of Rodeos that hurt animals in several ways, in this essay will

mention two that have caused problems with the society that is against animal abuse which are

rodeos and calf roping. Rodeo sports are harmful to animals because they involve calves, bulls or

horses being killed violently, making them suffer and even taking parts of their body. (Timmons,

2009) Calf roping can be said that they are done to prove masculinity but this rodeo type abuses

by using a little calve and kills/harm it in a way that no single living thing in this world deserves

just for fun or entertainment. These sports must be stopped because animals are defenseless

against the cruel mechanisms created by humans and it is sanctioned abuse.

Rodeos can be stopped by creating protests to create awareness of the harm they do to

animals and by helping organizations with legal cases about cruelty in them. The steps to create a
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protest are the following; first the harm rodeos done to animals should be advertised. Then, a

good time, place and date should be set. Next, you should get the necessary permits in the city.

Then, it is really important to publicize by creating flyers, advertise in the newspaper, and

through social media to unite people who would like to join the cause and stop rodeos. Finally,

you have to prepare to protest creating posters and visual aids to transmit the message. You can

use markers, pictures and colors. Another way to stop rodeos is by supporting organizations who

have open legal cases about animal cruelty such as Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF). This

organization sued the largest rodeo in California achieving a change that people wanted. They

provide free legal assistance and the steps to help are the following: First, enter to the webpage

http://aldf.org/about-us/ and click donate. Then, write the date of your credit card and payment

options. Finally, enter the quantity of money you want to be donated and click enter.

Some people that admire rodeos may object to our solution because they enjoy assisting

and find it entertaining; so for this reason are not willing to give up on it. Also, many find this

sport historical and part of their culture because it has its origin from the early 1700’s from

Spanish cattlemen. This is why some are likely to decline participating in protests; however, this

proposal will work because nowadays people are more reasonable and updated and this allows us

to change the way they see rodeos by exposing the cruel truth. Social Media will help the protest

by becoming viral. The main goal is to create consciousness of what rodeos actually do to

animals and, together we can push the country to take legal rights to protect these animals. This

solution may improve with time by gathering the attention of more people.
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In conclusion, rodeos can be stopped by creating protests to make people conscious of the

damage they cause in animals and supporting organizations against animal abuse. They can be

easily stopped but the only thing that is in our way is the people who approves this sport and see

it as a way of entertainment and also the ones who practice it. Supporting these organizations is a

minimum that can be done and from there it can start to create something big and be able to help

them at least. The rodeos and all the "sports" that involve animals should not exist, in some of

these sports they treat the animals in an inhuman way and they should not be seen as an object,

everything they do to them they feel it. So let’s join the cause, and spread the message because

we cannot accept living in a world where our children grow up thinking it is okay to treat other

living things that way. Let’s start to make a change so we can make this world a better place!
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Reference

Timmons, A. (2009). Rodeos Are Sanctioned Animal Abuse and Should Be Stopped. In D. A.

Miller (Ed.), Current Controversies. The Rights of Animals. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

(Reprinted from Cowboy Up? Cowboy Down, Daily Toreador, 2004, April 9) Retrieved from

http://0link.galegroup.com.lib.utep.edu/apps/doc/EJ3010062289/OVIC?u=txshracd2603&xid=ce

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