Written by :
Published on :
Animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is blasting a Las Vegas casino for a publicity stunt that involved the abuse of a horse, Gambling 911 can report exclusively.
South Point Casino last month paraded a Budweiser beer Clydesdale horse through the casino to promote an upcoming local Christmas parade that would feature a group of the world-famous Clydesdales.
Gambling 911 reported on the incident and posted a video showing the horse hitting its head on a low hallway ceiling and almost falling over as it is being escorted through the casino by several Budweiser handlers.
Gambling 911 reached out to PETA, the country’s most prominent animal rights advocacy group, for its reaction to the video and PETA senior vice president Kathy Guillermo provided this statement to Gambling 911:
“Horses aren’t photo props and they don’t belong in casinos.
“Clydesdales are known for their gentleness, so this horse must have been extremely stressed and frightened to kick as he was paraded down a confined hallway, surrounded by bright lights and loud noises.
“This publicity stunt put both horse and humans in danger, and PETA is urging the casino to leave stressed and scared animals out of their promotions.”
Another PETA official, Colleen O’Brien, told Gambling 911: “You might also be interested to know that the horse in the video was also a victim of tail docking, a cruel practice that Budweiser ended following a PETA investigation, dozens of PETA protests, nationwide ad campaigns and pleas from more than 121,000 concerned consumers.”
O’Brien also gave her reaction to Gambling 911’s exclusive report earlier this week that cable sports network ESPN is considering broadcasting bullfighting matches.
“PETA and our more than 10 million members and supporters would oppose this decision by ESPN, if it came to fruition.,”she said.
“And it would be a woefully out of touch decision on their part. Bullfighting is legal only in limited parts of a few countries, and even where it remains lawful, it is increasingly unpopular.
“In fact, bullfighting survives largely through government subsidies and pay-per-view channels catering to a shrinking audience.
“The claim by your source at ESPN that bullfighting isn’t cruel would be funny if not so absurd. Bulls used in fights are selectively bred and chosen when they are only four or five years old.
“During a bullfight, the animal is repeatedly stabbed with lances and barbed harpoons, before a sword is driven into his lungs and a dagger is used to sever the spinal cord.
“The bull may be left paralyzed yet conscious, as his ears are cut off as trophies. It is prolonged intentional cruelty.”
By Tom Somach
Gambling 911 Chief Correspondent
tsomach@aol.com
