the rspca are nothing more than grandstanding crackpots. i recall when they intervened into the egg industry to enforce "humane treatment standards". now all we see on the supermarket shelves are rspca endorsed egg products for which they get paid a royalty. once they bring enough commercial terrorism to bear in the live sheep trade they will strong arm their way to negioate a similar rspca sweet deal. will we see rspca approved lamb? so much for their principals, it's all about the money to them!!

What a sad reflection of who we have become this live export industry displays. I understand that farmers need to make a living but our ability to care is the difference between being just human and having some humanity. Why don't we set up slaughter houses on the west coast and give Australians a job and the animals a shorter and less horrific death? Surely we, as civilised people, are better than this!

Perhaps death on the voyage for the sheep, as outrageous and intensely cruel as it is, is still less of an immoral, unethical, blatant violation of civilised standards compared to the atrocity that can be expected from the Middle Eastern butchers at the end of the voyage.

Perhaps death on the voyage for the sheep, as outrageous and intensely cruel as it is, is still less of an immoral, unethical, blatant violation of civilised standards compared to the atrocity that can be expected from the Middle Eastern butchers at the end of the voyage.

Let's pack the exporters (farmers, stock agents, bankers et al) into some little pens on deck, feed them the same food every day for a month and see how they get on. My answer to 'anti rspca' is, what have you achieved? If not for the RSPCA many people like myself would be unaware of the latest developments in this saga. How many pairs of socks have you bought to support the RSPCA this year? If you are so upset, join up and change the way they do things.

OK so where is the RSPCA's research? guess what - they don't have any! The sheep industry spends millions of dollars ensuring our sheep arrive in good condition. They have plenty of feed & water and room to lie down. We are also the ONLY country spending our money ensuring better training for the local stock handlers in the Middle East. g

The RSPCA do a great job. Some people have absolutely no regard for animal welfare and it is up to the RSPCA to enforce laws to help protect animals. Live exporting of animals is absolutely all about money. The welfare of the animals is way down the list of priorities. If anything has been highlighted it has been the constant focus on profit. I am so saddened by the plight of these poor animals. All of them will experience a terrible end, either on the ship or in the hands of the Middle East butchers. I agree with Kerrie, Slamina and Susan - well said! Unfortunately it sounds like this type of exporting is going to continue for a long time. The hardest part is that people like us who care have to some how deal with the fact that it's going on and there's very little we can do about it.

What an easy target - such as the live sheep export trade - for RSPCA to hammer. Where is the RSPCA & its MEMBERS - in our towns and cities where for instance cats are breeding out of control under buildings in main streets & backyards and then spreading out into our bushlands - let alone the town/city parks and taking the bird life, reptiles etc. When called to help they collect and re-distribute for the cat cycle of life to breed on. How about putting some energy into these departments and cleaning it up and letting our wildlife regenerate without feline interference. Another area that needs extreme energy - the fox population - just take an evening drive on the roads & by-ways - foxes and cats for as far as you wish to drive 10klms or 500klms every 10 klms a fox seeking & a cat prowling the land taking out our precious native species. I think RSCPA needs to clean up its members backyards - I do not think they can see the trees for the forest. Most of the comments posted are all emotional - I urge you to take a drive at night - GET IN TOUCH - and check the roads out from the towns and cities - you will be shocked by the number of bright eyes flashing at night. Lot of talk & no action but target production areas. Also RSPCA members may wish to raise money to supply refrigeration to the communities that purchase live sheep at this point in time - oh and don't forget they need power as well (energy that you all enjoy) while you sit back in your comfortable lounge chairs - consuming and commenting.

When is this barbaric trade going to stop? Live export is worse than mulesing and I can't wait for Peta to get onto this issue.

for your information, dear kerrie (02/10/08), i am a former rspca animal cruelty inspector (salaried position) from qld and during my time with them my eyes were opened to what a hypocritical organization the rspca really is. it bleeds donations & estate bequests from the unsuspecting public by tugging at the heart strings. it is badly mismanaged by a core of volunteers, (dec former senator george gorges is a perfect example of this), who fight amongst each other worse than the cats and dogs in the kennels they house. they waste and squander donation money on bad managment, industrial relations payouts and prosecutions (proceeding only with prosecutions where they are certain of winning because the defendands don't have enough money for a protracted legal battle) only in order to raise their public profile in order to scam more donations for their purse.

the rspca in australia is nothing more than a franchise shopfront from the english rspca, cashing in on the well know trade name. again, it's all about the money for the rspca, which is not bad for a tax free charity organization! let's see if the rspca would still be in business if it were on a level playing field competing with our australian sheepfarmers for a dollllar???? the rspca seem quite immune to the fact that they are mucking around with people's livelyhoods. perhaps they should consider this before a class action is lodged against them for damages?

the emotive issue of live trade export is nothing more than public realtions cash cow exercise for the rspca! the rspca should pull their head in and stick to rehousing puppies and kittens. their ill-informed banter is big on loud rethoric and emotion, but very short on fact and actuality.

if the rspca were really serious about solving this issue they'd finance (from their state govt inspectoraite cash grants) veterinerians to accompany these boats free of charge and euthanaise any suffering animals! they could also send inspectors overseas to train the middle eastern purchasers of these animals. they wont do this because it it would cost them money !!!!

g (02/10/08) is correct, we treat our animals way better than other countries do, because at the end of the day, dead animals don't pay farmers bills!!!! we have codes of practice and animal welfare guidelines based on our developed society's moral compass, however we are in no position to enforce these laws on other countries. the ironic thing narrow minded animal rights extremists overlook is that before every muslim beast is slaughtered, a prayer is said for it! i don't see you down at your local australian slaughterhouse doing the same!!

and for your information susan anderson , i will never spend a single cent with the rspca so long as my behind points to the ground, and i would advise you to peel off those rspca socks and start looking in your own backyard for a local spca or humane society branch to support where you can do some good in your own community desexing and registering cats!