PETA raises alarm over Budweiser Clydesdale’s appearance at North Dakota Horse Park
Fargo, North Dakota – The iconic Budweiser Clydesdale horses are slated for an appearance at the North Dakota Horse Park on July 15. However, the forthcoming event has stirred controversy, as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) raises objections concerning the horses’ welfare.
PETA has publicly expressed distress over allegations that the Clydesdales have undergone tailbone amputations. “Although tailbone amputation for cosmetic reasons is condemned by the American Veterinary Medical Association and is illegal in 10 states and a number of countries, the Budweiser Clydesdale horses have been subjected to this cruel procedure,” they claim in an official statement.
In response, PETA dispatched a missive to Hugh Drexler, the general manager of the park, beseeching him to re-evaluate hosting the horses until Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Budweiser, pledges to cease the alleged mutilations. They argue that these procedures hinder the horses from participating in natural behaviors such as repelling disease-bearing flies with their tails and communicating through tail movements.
As proof, PETA referenced a video exposé allegedly demonstrating Budweiser undertaking the tailbone amputations of the Clydesdales. According to PETA, the horses’ tailbones are severed — either surgically with a scalpel or by employing a constrictive band that obstructs the tail’s blood flow, leading to necrosis and subsequent detachment — to achieve a specific aesthetic when the horses are attached to a beer wagon.
“Budweiser presents the Clydesdales as symbols of traditional American values, but harming horses is the antithesis of what Americans hold dear,” states Kathy Guillermo, Senior Vice President of PETA. She adds, “We hope you will speak with Anheuser-Busch executives and urge them to discontinue tailbone severing and, in the meantime, cancel the upcoming scheduled appearance.”
Additional details about PETA’s investigative journalism and advocacy efforts can be found on PETA.org.