Bulls, horses, calves and people who care about animals can all breathe a little easier in Queensland. A rodeo planned for later this year has lost one of its major sponsors after Kmart decided to take a strong stand against animal cruelty and withdrew their support of the Mt Isa Rodeo.

After receiving evidence from Animals Australia showing the suffering and cruelty endured by animals at rodeo events, Kmart announced it will end its sponsorship of the rodeo. They've also said they'll make sure they're not supporting events like this one again in the future. Sounds like a KSmart idea to me.

Rodeos are often pitched as "family fun days". Would your idea of "family fun" be getting your kicks seeing animals in a state of fear and anxiety? Can you even imagine the advertising for a rodeo? "Come see calves being dragged by lassos around their necks! Horses rearing and desperately trying to escape! Horses collapsing after just giving up! Bulls made to buck with straps tightened around their sensitive organs!" Umm ... I'll pass, thanks. No wonder Kmart have decided to steer clear of this event.

Rodeos are 'entertainment' at the expense of animals. They've been banned in the UK, and some parts of Europe and the US. It's awesome to see good guys like Kmart (and Telstra) do the right thing and not support these cruel events. These events can't run without funding, so Kmart's decision is a major one in terms of protecting animals. Hopefully state governments around Australia will soon go the distance and get rid of rodeos altogether.

If you've got a minute or two, why not shoot Kmart a quick 'thank-you' message for looking out for animals. You can also join them and many other Aussies by pledging to "Say no to rodeos", too!