With this in mind WSPA has recruited Ricky Gervais to front its campaign, with Ricky Gervais himself saying:

“Sometimes the worst kind of cruelty is done in the name of entertainment. It sickens me to know that people still pay money to see an animal tortured to death. Cultural heritage is no excuse for inflicting such pain on a frightened and confused animal.”

A huge number of bulls suffer each year due to bullfights and bull festivals, with some estimates putting the figure of bulls killed each year at an incredible quarter of a million. The bulls go through incredible suffering and the campaign to ban it is really building momentum. WSPA carried out a poll last year showing that 42% of Americans now believe that it should be banned – a huge swing on similar polls just a few years ago.

The argument for keeping bullfighting is largely centred around the fact that its a cultural sport, has great heritage, and is responsible for pulling in huge numbers of tourists to the bull festival regions.

However, Ricky Gervais takes the view of many others that this is a ‘sport’ which should have been outlawed years ago on moral grounds:

“The bull is stabbed for around 15 minutes by spears, spikes and daggers. It dies slowly and painfully, because when the matador sticks the final sword in, it often pierces the lungs instead of the heart, and the bulls are left drowning in their own blood. It’s amazing that there are fans of this so-called ‘sport’ across the world, from Spain to Latin America. I just can’t accept that cultural heritage is an excuse for inflicting such pain on a frightened and confused animal.”

With this vote coming up there’s now a real opportunity to change the laws for bullfighting, as Ricky goes on to say:

“There’s already quite a bit of progress being made. At the moment, the Catalonian Government in Spain is on the verge of voting for a ban on bullfighting. It could be a real step forward, so I wanted to get involved with this campaign to let Catalonian MPs know that there are thousands of people all around the world who care which way they vote.”

If you’d like to support the campaign then you can do so by filling in a letter against bullfighting.

In Simon Cowell’s own words:

“The World Society for Protection of Animals struck a chord with me, as it’s a global charity that recognizes the needs of animals around the world. When I was growing up, we had pets, and I was taught early on that you have to respect animals. I don’t have pets now, simply because I travel too much to take on the responsibility. But owning pets has had an immensely positive impact on my life and I think animals deserve our protection.”

“Right now, there are no international laws to protect animals and The World Society for the Protection of Animals is working to change that. They are calling on governments across the world to embrace a common agreement called the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare. This would recognize that animals can suffer and feel pain and need proper protection.”

“All you have to do is add your name to the Declaration — I’m encouraging people to sign it and send it to a friend as well. The Universal Declaration will mean so much; it would help governments appreciate the important role that animals play in our lives and in the environment we live in, and so inspire better legislation to protect animals around the world.”

WSPA’s campaign can be found at AnimalsMatterToMe.org – you can sign-up on the home page to show your support for the campaign.