Iconic Budweiser Clydesdales will no longer have their tails shortened

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH
Associated Press

Budweiser parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev announced Wednesday that its iconic Clydesdales will no longer have their tails shortened using a common, yet controversial, procedure that has drawn the ire of animal activists. The brewer said in a statement that the change was made earlier this year, stressing that the safety of the horses was a “top priority.” The statement coincided with an announcement that it had obtained an animal welfare certification for the horses, as well as the dalmatians that serve as their companions. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, led protests and mounted a nationwide ad campaign, with billboards depicting the horses reading “Severed Tails: Cruelty to Clydesdales.”