What would you do if you were being loaded onto a massive ship to spend weeks at sea, crammed in with thousands of others in sometimes stifling temperatures, standing in your own waste until you are finally offloaded in a country where no laws protect you from cruelty and being slaughtered fully conscious...?

I don't know about you, but if I had any inkling of what was to come I'd jump ship! And that's exactly what one cluey cow did last week, while being loaded onto a live export ship in Darwin.

Rather than accept her fate as part of the cruellest trade in Australia, this brilliant Brahman escaped the loading races and plunged into the sea in a bid for freedom. And who could blame her?

Export ships leaving Darwin port take cattle straight to Indonesia, and if you saw the Four Corners report in May you'd know why this cow would not want to end up there! Animals Australia filmed cows being kicked, whipped, eye gouged, having their tails broken, and slapping their heads on concrete that forms part of horror restraining boxes that the Australian government had installed.

Eventually the swimming cow was pulled out of the water, but still kicking and bucking, she clearly didn't want to be "saved" and put back on the ship. Her fate is now unknown.

Even more tragic is that this is not the first cow to make a break for freedom. Apparently others before her have tried to save themselves, but it looks like we'll have to do it for them. Please click here to send a letter to the Prime Minister and ask her to end this barbaric trade for good!

Today the Catalonian Government in Spain is voting on whether or not to ban bullfighting in that region. And here's some numbers they can't ignore –

Over 120 countries around the world have voiced their support for a ban, with the parliament receiving over 140,000 signatures and emails (including nearly a thousand from Unleashed members!) to back this up. Local people too, have had their say with over 180,000 Catalans expressing that this outdated 'tradition' is nothing but animal cruelty.

Numbers aside there is simply no excuse to torture an animal in the name of entertainment.

If this ban is approved, Catalonia will stand apart from the rest of Spain with a clear message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated and if you are one of the many to speak up for the bulls – THANK YOU!

Unleashed is keeping a close eye on the outcome of the vote and will let you know the news as soon as possible! Watch this space!

With amazing drawcards like flamenco dancing and the incredibly fun Tomatina Festival (basically just a massive food fight with tomatoes!) you'd think Spain wouldn't need any other crazy attractions to bring in the tourist dollars.

But unfortunately, the utterly cruel and outdated Running of the Bulls is taking place this week in Pamplona....

Each day of the week-long festival, 12 terrified animals are forced to run, slipping and sliding, often breaking limbs, down ancient cobble stoned streets and into a bullring. A hoard of taunting humans run ahead of the bulls, themselves risking serious injury or death.

Once in the bullring, the already exhausted animal faces a matador, who teases and taunts him before driving spears into his back and neck. As the bull loses blood he becomes weaker and finally collapses. Then the matador delivers the final blow, severing his spinal cord with a dagger. Sometimes the matador misses, leaving the bull conscious, paralysed and in sheer agony while being dragged off by the horns. Hardly a bull fight. This is a bull massacre!

Whether it's bull 'riding' in Australia, or bull 'fighting' in Spain, teasing and tormenting frightened animals has got to be one of the lowest excuses for 'entertainment' ever.

If you think Spain's Ministry of Tourism needs to be more creative in attracting tourists, send them a letter and tell them you will never visit a country that advertises bloodthirst and carnage as a 'fun' event!