Report Cruelty Donate

Our role

The state and territory member Societies provide services to animals in need through their shelters and inspectorates. In the national office, RSPCA Australia works to influence animal welfare policy, practice and legislation across the country
Go to Our role

Animal welfare science

Caring for animals

Farm animal welfare

Public education

Advocacy

Enforcing the law

Key issues

The RSPCA advocates for the welfare of animals across a number of industries, issues and platforms. Help from our supporters is important to progress change. Working together is key.
Go to Key issues

Farm animals

Sport, entertainment & work animals

better than live export hero banner
Priority issue
On 1 July 2024, the Federal Government…
Live sheep export

News

Here you'll find the latest news relating to the RSPCA's vital work, press releases on national events, education on animal welfare issues, animal welfare science updates and our very own podcast covering a range of current topics.
Go to News

Blog

Media centre

Podcast

take action live sheep export alternate
Media release: Live sheep export unfixable, unnecessary, unacceptable – and now, soon to be unlawful
Read the media release

Support us

Whether you're an individual or a business, there are multiple ways you can support the RSPCA
Go to Support us

For individuals

For businesses

National events

An animal in the RSPCA care being cared for by an RSPCA vet
Donate now to support your local RSPCA and make a difference to animal welfare across Australia
Donate

Learn

The RSPCA aims to make evidence-based research accessible to the community, so that they can have confidence in the choices made when it comes to animal welfare.
Go to Learn

Knowledgebase Offsite

Animal Welfare Seminar

Animal Welfare Science Update

Education resources

Cage free and proud

Choose Wisely

Responsible sourcing

Key information

Domesticated animals

Non-domesticated animals

Aquatic animals

RSPCA Approved Standards

AWS2025 Website Image 2000x2000 v2
RSPCA Animal Welfare Seminar 2025
Animal ethics and animal welfare…
Learn more

About

The RSPCA is an independent, community-based charity providing animal care and protection services across the country.
Go to About

Annual reports

Annual statistics

Board & governance

Scholarships

Join our team

Our history

Contact

about us national statistics
Read our National Statistics
Compiled on a national basis by RSPCA…
Annual statistics

Adopt

By choosing adoption, you’ll not only have the chance to make a friend for life, but you’ll be giving an animal a second chance and helping support the RSPCA.
Go to Adopt

Adopting a dog or puppy

Adopting a cat or kitten

Adopting other animals

Responsible pet ownership

adopt a pet logo
Visit the Adopt A Pet website
Make a difference to a pet’s life today.
Search Adoptapet
Contact Us
RSPCA Approved Farming
Report Cruelty Donate
Report Cruelty Donate
Subscribe now! Keep up to date with the latest animal welfare news
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Media centre
  4. Egypt trade exposes risks for…

The RSPCA is calling on the Australian Government to urgently update the current Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) to prohibit the use of cruel inversion boxes in abattoirs overseas.

The Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce, today announced the re-opening of the live export trade to Egypt under ESCAS, days after a damning government report was released which detailed cruel handling and slaughter of Australian animals at the Ain Sokhna abattoir.

The Egyptian abattoir uses a slaughter box that rotates cattle upside down prior to having their throats cut while fully conscious – a device approved for use in several other ESCAS supply chains.

“Inversion slaughter boxes are unquestionably cruel and have no place in an Australian approved facility,” said Dr Bidda Jones, RSPCA Australia Chief Scientist.

“Even when these slaughter devices are working properly they’re incapable of delivering good animal welfare outcomes, yet the government has failed to act to remove them.

“If the Australian public and cattle producers knew the full details about the suffering that cattle endure in these devices, they’d be horrified,” said Dr Jones.

The RSPCA is also calling on the government to release the slaughter assessment reports from the four Department of Agriculture veterinarians sent to Egypt in 2013 as part of the 2013 investigation and explain why animal welfare audits of the two abattoirs were never conducted.

“Despite previous arrangements (MoUs) having many of the hallmarks of ESCAS, they failed to protect Australian cattle from significant and ongoing cruelty - how can the Australian public trust it will be any different now?” said Dr Jones. 

“Egypt has an appalling record in animal welfare and we have no confidence that ESCAS will deliver anything better.”

Media contact: Elise Meakin, 0419 748 907, [email protected]

 

subscribe box

Stay informed on big issues and how you can help improve animal welfare across Australia.

Subscribe today and we’ll keep you updated on all the latest campaigns, events and news.

We care about your data in our privacy policy.