Coca-Cola's History of Lying About Rodeo

The Coca-Cola logo is prominently displayed on this bucking chute in at a Cheyenne, Wyoming rodeo in 2005. This bleeding horse was used in spite of a clear injury to its hoof. The blood spatters inside the chute also show that this wasn't the first injured animal used.

In a letter dated June 6, 2000, Coca-Cola's Shareholders Affairs Manager Mark Preisinger made the following promise:

"The Coca-Cola Company has a policy in force stating that our operations will not sponsor or promote events where there is a risk of physical harm to animals."

This is a pretty clear statement, but Coke's Mr. Preisinger goes on to state even more explicitly:

"In any event, I can assure you, based upon our recent review, that this policy has now been fully implemented. I also want to assure you that if you hear of any violations of this policy anywhere we do business, I would be anxious to know about it and will commit to rectifying the matter promptly."

How stupid does Coke think its consumers are? Ask yourself and Coke why the company continues to lie about its rodeo sponsorship. The horses shocked at the 2008 Tucson Rodeo, sponsored by Coca-Cola, have been betrayed yet again. Learn more and watch the video here.

This statement was further supported in 2004 by then Consumer Information Manager Bernice Sayer, who reacted to Coke banners found in a Spanish bullring with the following:

"The banner belongs to our bottling partners Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd and the agreement is between them and the stadium rather than the organizers of bullfighting. However, the Coca-Cola Company has a policy in force stating that our operations would not associate itself where there is a risk of physical harm to animals, and therefore I have asked that the banner be removed during bullfighting events."

This all sounds great, but the truth is that Coke continues to support horrible animal abuse year after year, despite repeated requests from animal advocates for the company to follow its Animal Welfare Policy.

Coke has demonstrated, and continues to demonstrate, that it cares nothing about either animals, or its own written promises and policies. Please do not buy Coca-Cola products until the company stops supporting animal abuse. And then, please write and call Coke and let them know.

Coca-Cola's Involvement with Animal Cruelty

Coca-Cola denies sponsoring rodeo, but this photo tells the truth. The print at the bottom of the ad states: "Copyright 2007 The Coca-Cola Company." Photo from the 2007 Pendleton Round-Up Rodeo, where SHARK documented numerous violations of their "humane rules" and blatant abuse.

• Coke has had a long, bloody history of sponsoring bullrings in Mexico, Spain and other bullfighting countries. When SHARK successfully campaigned to force Pepsi Cola to remove its advertisements from bullrings in the late 1990s, Coke promised it had already dumped bullfighting years before, even though its ads were still in the bullrings. Pepsi's ads are now gone.

• Coke sponsors greyhound racing, an industry that annually kills thousands of "surplus" animals ranging from excess puppies to older racing dogs that can no longer make money for their exploiters. The greyhound industry also uses live animals such as rabbits as "lures." These animals are often allowed to be torn apart by the greyhounds as part of their "training."

• Coke is a sponsor of the Iditarod, a dog sled race that has killed at least 133 dogs, and causes intense suffering and untold numbers of injuries to the dogs forced to race. When they are not racing, the dogs often live under inhumane conditions. Coke gives thousands and thousands of dollars every year to the brutal Iditarod, without blinking an eye at its own hypocrisy.

• Coke continues to sponsor rodeos -- pouring money into the violent abuse, maiming and killing of countless animals, even after promising in writing that it would no longer do so. Coke ads are prominent in rodeos across North America, and even in Europe, helping to spread America's brutal "tradition" overseas.

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