The petition closed with 105,362Â signatures.
Ricky Gervais, Sara Pascoe and 40,000 other people call on the government to act over race horse deaths
Animal Aid's campaign to urge the government to take action over the shockingly high death rate in British horse racing is going from strength to strength. Our petition has passed the 40,000 mark and we have the support of 12 celebrities, including Ricky Gervais and Sara Pascoe.
The celebrities, who include Animal Aid patrons, signed an open letter to the press following the deaths of six horses at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
As the notorious Grand National meeting approaches, it is vital to focus our efforts on helping the petition reach the 100,000 mark in order to trigger a government debate.
Please sign and share the petition straight away.
(petition now closed with 105,362Â signatures. Thank you to all who supported).
Below is a copy of the letter, which has been sent to the press.
Dear Editor,
We were horrified to learn that six horses were killed at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, and that around 200 horses are killed as a result of racing on courses around the country every year.Â
This shocking death toll has been allowed to continue, unchecked, and we strongly believe that it is time for the government to intervene.
The racing industry has failed in its duty to protect these animals, and we are calling on the government to establish a fully independent body which will have overall responsibility for race horse welfare.
A petition has been set up, which supports this important objective, and we urge animal lovers to add their names to it straight away. This can be done by visiting www.animalaid.org.uk/horse-petition  Â
Yours faithfully,
Marc Abraham BVM&S MRCVS
Sam CarterÂ
Sarah-Jane Crawford
Peter Egan
Ricky Gervais
Jasmine Harman
Dr Christian JessenÂ
Emma Milne BVSc MRCVS
Sara Pascoe
Wendy Turner Webster
Dan Richardson
Carol Royle