Live exports: 1 year later

It was one year ago today that Four Corners aired footage from Animals Australia's first investigation in Indonesia, and shocked the Australian public with the brutal and undeniable cruelty of the live export industry. It's amazing to think just how far we've come in 12 months. Check out what's been achieved...

• Tens of thousands of people across Australia taking to the streets. (Maybe you were one of them?)
• Hundreds of thousands putting the heat on pollies to stop the trade through emails, letters and phone calls.
• A whopping 60,000 media stories about live exports (here and overseas!) in 2011.
• Not to mention four historic proposals in Parliament to end live exports.

People power has brought us this far and has made live export an issue no politician can ignore! Together, we've shone a spotlight on this cruel trade! Not only have our efforts forced animal welfare improvements across numerous countries, sheep exports have also dropped to a ten year low, meaning that hundreds of thousands of sheep have been spared from a gruelling journey and brutal slaughter. (Want to see the full checklist of what's been achieved? Click here.)

After the investigation aired, we heard from so many people who made the choice to take animals off their plates. It seems I wasn't the only one getting all choked up watching the heartbreaking story of Tommy the steer, shivering with fear as he awaited his death.

While some victories have been won, the larger campaign to end all live exports from Australia continues. And this is where you can do your part for the animals!

• Share the campaign with your friends! It's so simple but so important. Facebook, Twitter, wherever - get the message out there that live exports need to be stopped.
• If you're voting age: Tell the PM what you think! She's there to serve Australians, right? So tell her exactly what you want to see done.
• Get published! The letters page in the paper is one of the most read sections. Your letter will speak for the millions of young Australians who want an end to live exports.
• Gather signatures! Easier than you'd think. Print off a petition to end live exports. Take it to class or to a lecture; the canteen or the cafe and get other people involved.

Thanks to the amazing support of people like you, this campaign has already had a huge impact! With your continued help, the entire ugly trade can be banned for good. What's the next step you're going to take?

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