In a significant victory for animals, Alameda County, California, has passed an ordinance to forbid mutton busting, a cruel rodeo event where children jump on sheep and ride the terrified animals around an arena. The sheep desperately try to escape the senseless torment and often injure themselves in the process. This inhumane spectacle teaches children and the community to be callous toward animal suffering.

On Tuesday, October 29, the ordinance was passed due to our collaboration with the Coalition for a More Humane Alameda County. This groundbreaking legislation wouldn’t have passed without the efforts of our Alameda County supporters who sent hundreds of letters to their county representatives and expressed their support in person at county board meetings. We are also very grateful to County Supervisors Richard Valle, Wilma Chan, and Keith Carson, who pledged to support the legislation and followed through on their promises.

We celebrate this big win, but there is still much work to be done for animals. Many barbaric rodeo practices are still legal in Alameda County. They include tie-down calf roping, a horrifically cruel activity in which a young calf is chased, restrained with rope, and violently assaulted. The terrified babies often defecate on themselves out of fear. Other cruel rodeo activities include the use of tight, painful straps on the groin areas of bulls, and mercilessly jabbing horses with sharp spurs. Alongside the Coalition for a More Humane Alameda County, we have proposed an ordinance to forbid this cruelty.

Thank you to all our supporters who helped make this victory possible. With your help, we will continue to fight against the horrific animal abuse at rodeos.