In a historic ruling last week, Brazil became the latest country to ban the export of live cows due to animal welfare concerns. The decision follows a 2017 lawsuit filed by Brazilian nonprofit National Forum for the Protection and Defense of Animals to put an end to the horrific practice of live exports.
“After a long procedural process, a historic sentence for the rights of animals was handed down, in which the suffering caused to animals is recognized, in an activity similar to human trafficking in the era of slavery,” noted a statement released by the organization on its website. “In the sentence, the judge recognizes the dignity of animals and understands that such activity is cruel and cannot be justified or tolerated under the auspices of possible commercial damage.”
“Animals are not things. They are sentient beings, that is, individuals who feel hunger, thirst, pain, cold, anguish and fear,” stated Federal Judge Djalma Gomes in her verdict, which is open to appeal.
