People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called on FIFA to drop Budweiser as its official beer for the upcoming Women’s World Cup and the 2026 Men’s World Cup over the brand’s alleged mistreatment of animals.
PETA senior vice president Kathy Guillermo addressed a letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. PETA says it has documented the company amputating the tailbones of Budweiser Clydesdales, which the activist group says has “no medical purpose.”
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The Budweiser Clydesdales before the start of the NASCAR Cup Series Inaugural Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented by TicketSmarter on June 5, 2022, in Madison, Illinois. (Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“We understand that Anheuser-Busch InBev, Budweiser’s parent company, has renewed its contract with FIFA to be the official beer provider during this summer’s Women’s World Cup and the World Cup in 2026. We think you should know that Budweiser is associated with cruelty to animals,” Guillermo’s letter read. “PETA has documented that the company is amputating the tailbones of its famous Budweiser Clydesdales. These amputations are done just for cosmetic reasons and serve no medical purpose. They’re performed either by severing the tailbone or by putting a tight band around the tail to cut off blood flow so that the tail and most of the bone will die and fall off.
“This unnecessary and permanent disfigurement causes immense pain, affects horses’ balance, and leaves them without natural protection from flies and other biting insects. Horses also depend on their tails to communicate with herdmates and humans.
The Budweiser Clydesdales prior to the start of the game between the White Sox and the Cubs at Guaranteed Rate Field on July 6, 2019, in Chicago. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
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“Both the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the American Veterinary Medical Association condemn severing horses’ tails unless it’s medically necessary. Many European countries, including Belgium, where Anheuser-Busch is headquartered, have banned this practice, as have 10 U.S. states. If Budweiser is concerned that tail hair could become entangled in a wagon’s hitch equipment, simply braiding and wrapping the tails would prevent this possibility.
“Budweiser presents the iconic Clydesdales as symbols of traditional American values, but harming horses is the antithesis of what all fans in the U.S and around the world hold dear. Anheuser-Busch is choosing to align the Budweiser brand – and now FIFA – with the disfigurement of horses. Will you speak with the company’s executives to urge them to discontinue tailbone severing and if they refuse, drop them as a sponsor?”
FIFA and Anheuser-Busch InBev didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino speaks during a press conference ahead of World Cup on Nov. 19, 2022, in Doha, Qatar. (Maryam Majd ATPImages/Getty images)
AB InBev’s Bud Light brand has been under fire over its marketing campaign that featured Dylan Mulvaney.
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Bud Light recently lost out to Modelo Especial as America’s most popular beer brand.
