Huge Win for Bulls! Maker of Absolut Vodka Cuts Ties With Bullfighting
Great news for bulls: following campaigns by PETA France, PETA US, and other animal rights groups, French spirits giant Pernod Ricard – which owns over 90 wine and spirits brands, including Absolut Vodka, Malibu, and Ballantine’s – has cut ties with bullfighting.
The victory sees the Pernod Ricard group end its financial support of the Union of Paul Ricard Bullfighting Clubs. The union is the largest bullfighting organisation in the world and has 400 bullfighting clubs and 16,000 members throughout France.
What’s Wrong With Bullfighting?
Each year, thousands of bulls are barbarically slaughtered in bullrings around the world. Men taunt, exhaust, and stab each bull with a lance and several harpoon-like banderillas until he becomes weakened from blood loss. Then, the matador stabs the wounded animal with a sword, and if the bull doesn’t die straight away, other weapons are used to cut his spinal cord.
Many bulls are paralysed but still conscious as their ears or tail are cut off to be given to the matador as trophies.
What You Can Do to Help Bulls
Many people who attend bullfights are horrified by what they see and would never have bought a ticket if they’d known how violent it would be. By that point, though, it’s too late: the bullfighting industry has already pocketed the money, and the bull has endured a torturous, ritualistic death that no amount of remorse can undo.
The only way to shut down this abusive industry is by refusing to support it in any way – whether that be in France, Spain, Mexico, or the handful of other countries that still allow the cruel spectacle.
PETA and other animal rights groups have long been speaking out against this bloodbath – please help us:
