Anheuser-Busch, the brewer that owns Budweiser, said that it had ceased chopping the tails of the beer brand’s famed Clydesdale horses in response to criticism from animal advocates.
Anheuser-Busch’s earlier this year ended the practice of docking horses’ tails, a representative for the business said on Thursday. The American Veterinary Medical Association states that the surgery entails “amputation of the distal part of the boney part of the tail.”
According to the corporation, the Clydesdale horses first appeared in Budweiser advertising in 1933 to commemorate the end of Prohibition. Since then, they have continued to appear in numerous commercials and advertisements, becoming household names.
The representative for the business declared that “the safety and well-being of our beloved Clydesdales is our top priority.”
The statement followed a letter that PETA and other animal rights organizations submitted earlier this month to Jason Warner, CEO of Anheuser-Busch’s Europe Zone, requesting that the business “immediately prohibit” the surgery on the Clydesdales.
The letter stated that the unnecessary procedure, which involves severing the spine, leaves the horses without natural defense against flies and other biting insects and causes them lifelong pain. It also added that horses rely on their tails to communicate with one another.
According to the AVMA, it is generally advised that veterinarians avoid surgical operations that are “cosmetic” or “not medically necessary,” and 10 U.S. states currently forbid totally or unjustifiably docking horses’ tails.
When Anheuser-Busch verified it has ceased the practice, PETA said that its workers will celebrate by “cracking open some cold ones.”
According to PETA, “this victory follows dozens of protests, national advertising campaigns, and more than 121,000 consumer petitions.”
The scandal occurs in the midst of a challenging year for Anheuser-Busch. Following an Instagram advertising campaign with Dylan Mulvaney, sales for one of its iconic beer brands, Bud Light, decreased. On April 1, the transgender actress and activist joined forces with the business, angering some conservatives. While Bud Light continues to be well-liked, Anheuser-Busch felt the consequences of the unrest and announced in July that it was laying off close to 2% of its workforce, or around 380 of its 19,000 workers.
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