Is bull fighting cruel ?

Question

Do you think bull fighting is a cruel sport, and in some countries such as Portugal where the bulls are not killed. Is it less cruel ?

Answer 1

I am not a fan of PETA and I was once a professional rodeo cowboy, a sport which many think is cruel. Having said that, yes, bullfighting is cruel. Yes, it is far more cruel than whatever somebody said about the animals slaughtered to make McDonalds hamburgers and no, the bulls do not have a fighting chance. That is ludicrous. They are systematically exhausted and bled nearly to death for an extended period until they are finally killed by the matador hopefully with a clean blow but not always.

Even in Portugal, the animals are still stabbed from horseback and virtually always killed immediately after the fight, though not in front of the audience. In California bloodless bull fighting in the Portuguese style is legal and rather than stabbing the animals, they are covered with a kind of velcro pad that catches the bandeirilhas. The bulls are not killed after the fights in this style and I don't think it is cruel when done this way. Nevertheless, if you feel the need to prove your manhood, rather than line up a bunch of guys on horses to exhaust the animal first, try riding one in perfect health sometime.

• Exactly! - nita2308 Sep 24, 2009

Answer 2

If given a choice, would you prefer to be killed instantly and without much suffering or tormented, hunted for and wounded for the audience's entertainment? If you had to put your old and much loved dog down, would you make it suffer a number of stabs and a lot of stress before it dies? If you could choose your own death (not suicidal), would you decide to die of long-lasting and painful cancer or just fall asleep one evening and never wake up?

Answer 3

Bull fighting is a Spanish tradition. I agree that traditions should be preserved. But I ask, should certain traditions always be held if they are cruel to animals ? It should be called bull killing. Abusing of animals can never be an acceptable hobby for a civilised society nowadays.

Answer 4

What's your opinion?

• I think subjecting the bull to a lot of pain and stress is cruel. My opinion is that one day, don't know when, it will disappear just like the gladiators, or feeding Christians to lions in ancient Rome - peterpierre Sep 21, 2009

Answer 5

To answer you question properly we might need more information. You mention that in Portugal that the bull is not killed. It may be that the bull is not killed in the arena, but even if he is not killed in view of the crowd he still is often butchered (unless needed for stud services) outside of the arena. If the animal is to be butchered either way (in or outside of the ring) which is less cruel become a matter of how the animal is killed outside of the ring. Is it less cruel to be stabbed with a sword or how they put the animal down outside of the ring? Not knowing how they kill the animal outside of the ring I couldn't answer your question. And, yes, for the bull it is a painful death either way as the bandarilhas are implanted in both style of bullfighting.

Answer 6

Does those bulls have better life than the one you just bought from McDonald had?
They have a fighting chance, and if they win, they never have to fight again, just enjoy retirement.
Or, at least, that is how I head it.

• I would agree, if that were the outcome, but I don't believe most bulls win their retirement. I think the bullfights are just an added service for a bull that is going to McDonalds either way. - qfreed Sep 21, 2009
• I don't know that I'd want to live through that. - Seitheach Sep 24, 2009

Answer 7

I have seen corrida once in Sevilla. It seemed cruel, especially for us, not used to a view of death, but it was a beautiful feature. Millions of animals a day are killed for food, some of them in a much more cruel way, and nobody seriously thinks of stopping it. So, does that dozen of bulls once a week make a real difference?

• Millions of vegetarians think animal cruelty everywhere should be stopped and yes I think a dozen bulls do make a difference. - 003487d6 Sep 24, 2009

Answer 8

Yes it is cruel,either way.

Answer 9

Is it really necessary to ask or answer this question? - we all already know the answer no matter where we are from.

Answer 10

Yes, it is cruel. In Texas we do not allow dog fighting or chicken fights for the same reason. No matter what animal, pain and death should not be for sport, pleasure or excitment.

Answer 11

Why don't we use prisoners instead of bulls? Is it just that we bring an animal that has done nothing to us and butcher it like we did long ago to Christians at the Coliseum?

Answer 12

Yes!

Answer 13

No at leats they use the meat for food

Answer 14

I am a fan of PETA and I was once a professional rodeo cowboy, a sport which many think is cruel. Having said that, yes, bullfighting is cruel. Yes, it is far more cruel than whatever somebody said about the animals slaughtered to make McDonalds hamburgers and no, the bulls do not have a fighting chance. That is ludicrous. They are systematically exhausted and bled nearly to death for an extended period until they are finally killed by the matador hopefully with a clean blow but not always.

Even in Portugal, the animals are still stabbed from horseback and virtually always killed immediately after the fight, though not in front of the audience. In California bloodless bull fighting in the Portuguese style is legal and rather than stabbing the animals, they are covered with a kind of velcro pad that catches the bandeirilhas. The bulls are not killed after the fights in this style and I don't think it is cruel when done this way. Nevertheless, if you feel the need to prove your manhood, rather than line up a bunch of guys on horses to exhaust the animal first, try riding one in perfect health sometime