Target: Kwame Raoul, Illinois Attorney General, Springfield, Illinois
Goal: Pursue aggressive enforcement and maximum lawful penalties against individuals and organizers reportedly involved in rodeo abuses—including tail degloving, beatings, and shocking—and back a statewide prohibition on steer tailing.
Graphic videos and eyewitness accounts reportedly depict animals suffering severe injuries at rodeo events across multiple Illinois counties. In one clip, a cow’s tail is reportedly degloved during a steer-tailing event, an act where a rider allegedly grabs an animal’s tail to yank it to the ground. Other footage purportedly shows broken legs and backs, handlers apparently striking horses and cattle, a paralyzed cow reportedly left without treatment, and wranglers allegedly using high-electricity prods.
Advocates have asserted that these incidents reveal a pattern of non-enforcement of Illinois’ humane care laws at certain rodeos. The reported scenes—animals dragged by the tail, slammed to the ground, beaten, and shocked—are not harmless traditions; they allegedly inflict terror and injury for entertainment. When public events normalize such apparent cruelty, animals pay the price and future abuse is encouraged.
A firm response is necessary. Statewide investigations, coordination with local prosecutors, and—when supported by evidence—criminal charges and injunctions against those responsible would signal that Illinois will not tolerate cruelty disguised as sport. Sign below to demand maximum penalties and a clear, enforceable ban on steer tailing to prevent further reported suffering and close loopholes that allow abuse.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Attorney General Kwame Raoul,
Reports and videos from Illinois rodeos allegedly show animals subjected to shocking mistreatment: a cow’s tail reportedly degloved during steer tailing; horses and cattle apparently struck; a paralyzed cow purportedly left without care; and wranglers allegedly using high-voltage prods. These accounts suggest needless suffering inflicted for entertainment.
We respectfully urge your office to open or coordinate comprehensive investigations into rodeo events where such conduct has been reported, and—if the evidence supports it—to pursue all appropriate criminal and civil actions against individuals and organizers. Please seek maximum lawful penalties, including fines, jail where warranted, restitution for veterinary care, and prohibitions on contact with animals for convicted offenders.
We also ask that you support a statewide, enforceable prohibition on steer tailing and issue guidance to local agencies to ensure the humane laws are actively applied at public events. A clear, decisive response will help protect animals from further harm and deter future abuses occurring under the guise of sport.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Becks
