Body Shop Customers Demand An End To Australia's Live Sheep Trade

In just one month over 63,000 customers of The Body Shop have added their link to The World Society for the Protection of Animals' (WSPA) Humane Chain, demanding an end to live sheep export.

The overwhelming response far exceeded our original target of adding 40,000 links, the equivalent of roughly one person for every sheep that dies en route to the Middle East annually.

At 6.25 kilometres, the Humane Chain could stretch across the Sydney Harbour Bridge over 5 times.

“The Body Shop customers have responded, and they want an end to live sheep exports – permanently,” said Adam Valvasori from The Body Shop.

“Right across Australia all of our stores proudly displayed the symbolic red paper chains, made up of links representing our local customers united against this cruel trade,” he said.

The Humane Chain campaign will take to the streets over the next fortnight as our staff present their local Member of Parliament with the chains created by customers instore, and demand an end to Australia's live sheep trade to the Middle East.

Jessica Borg from WSPA said that the fate was no better for the sheep who made it to the Middle East alive: WSPA recently gathered further evidence of cruel treatment with sheep being slaughtered in front of each other and others trussed and shut in car boots in searing heat – alive.

“With local jobs lost to overseas, the blatant disregard for animal welfare in importing countries, and this unprecedented response from Australians, the Federal Government can no longer ignore the resounding call for an end to live export.”

“Refrigeration has improved, as have freezing methods, and the majority of Australian abattoirs are now accredited to process meat using Halal methods. The Government no longer has any excuse.”

She said the live sheep trade actually robbed Australian regional communities of employment in local abattoirs, as processing jobs were moved offshore.

“Nearly 64,000 Australians, and their families from electorates across Australia – regional and suburban – have now called for an end to the live sheep trade through the Humane Chain. It's time that the Federal Government stopped merely examining the issues around the live sheep trade and took notice of the groundswell of support from the public.”