THE MARTIN INQUIRY
The RSPCA estimates that 4000 former Australian racehorses are slaughtered annually.
In October 2019 the ABC 7.30 program aired a story about the ‘wastage’ of retired racehorses. The story raised issues about the treatment of horses at a Queensland abattoir.
Following the airing of The Final Race the Queensland Government commissioned an Independent inquiry into the management of retired racehorses (the Martin Inquiry).
Here is the “joint statement” announcing that inquiry.
The Martin Inquiry also looked at the regulatory and oversight arrangements for abattoirs and knackeries and the transport of horses to those facilities
Led by retired District Court Judge Terry Martin SC, the Inquiry found:
The management of racehorses as a disposable commodity was unethical and not aligned with community expectations.
We will be following this story closely and tracking to see if the 55 recommendations made during this inquiry are acted on.
#MOHM THREATENED?
We’ve been threatened by those in the horse racing industry and those who benefit from horse slaughter more times than we can count.
But we are not going away.
We are going to persist until horse slaughter no longer exists for any purpose within Australia -- and until the horse racing industry makes drastic changes.
We are going to continue our hands-on work to offer lifelong sanctuary to as many horses as possible. We generally have 20 at just one of our locations - at any given time.
We have the acreage to take on more horses as financial support allows.
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