Cruel Prison Rodeo Cancelled

Update Feb. 5, 2010: Citing budget constraints, the state has cancelled this year’s Oklahoma state prison rodeo in McAlester. Supporters, however, say the rodeo actually pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy. 

Perhaps state officials were also persuaded by the complaints of animal cruelty. For more on this, read Animal Law Coalition’s original report below and also go here for information about laws relating to rodeos.

Original report: Some states have exceptions in animal cruelty laws for animals used by rodeos. The animals are either not protected by the law at all or only if the rodeo does not treat them according to accepted rodeo or husbandry standards, whatever that means.

In Oklahoma, though, under 21 Okl. St. § 1685 all animals, "whether wild or tame, and whether belonging to the person or to another" are protected from cruelty. In fact, cruelty to animals is a felony in Oklahoma, punishable by a 1-5 year sentence and a $5,000 fine.

So why is it that the Oklahoma Prison Rodeo and state authorities allowed a horse with both front legs broken to be in a rodeo? The poor animal was forced to walk on these broken legs. Watch the video below of the annual prison rodeo in McAlester, Oklahoma. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Please call the Oklahoma Governor and the Director of the Prisons and ask them to cancel the rodeo permanently. It is an outrage that tax payer money is used to pay for this brutality.

For more information, go to PrisonRodeoAbuse. com

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry
Telephone: (405) 521-2342

Justin Jones, Director, Department of Corrections
3400 Martin Luther King Avenue
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111-4298
Phone: (405) 425-2505
Fax: (405) 425-2578
Email: justin.jones@doc.state.ok.us

Marty Sirmons, Warden
P.O. Box 97
McAlester, OK 74502-0097
Phone: (918) 423-4700
Fax: (918) 423-3862
Email: marty.sirmons@doc.state.ok.us