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Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Anheuser-Busch produces more than 60 varieties of beer and other beverages, including Budweiser, Michelob, Busch, Rolling Rock and O’Doul’s products. According to its annual report, the company’s gross sales of beer equal nearly $18 billion per year, with more than $5.5 billion in profit.

Despite its ads prominently featuring Clydesdale horses to sell its beer and killer whales to sell tickets to its theme parks, Anheuser-Busch is hardly animal-friendly. The primary animal rights criticism against Anheuser-Busch is the company’s encouragement of animal exploitation, from sponsoring animal fighting and sport fishing events to operating theme parks with captive wild animals and animal "performers."

Animal “Sports”

Anheuser-Busch sponsors numerous rodeos, horse racing and sport fishing events. PETA estimates that more than 800 horses die each year in the horse racing industry. Many others suffer from being drugged to enhance their performances, and “retired” racehorses have been sent to slaughterhouses for human consumption overseas. However, that does not stop Anheuser-Busch from being a sponsor at the Fairmount Park racetrack in Illinois. The company also sponsors sport fishing events, including the Bassmaster tournaments and Fly Fishing Team USA. The Busch beer website even provides fishing and hunting tips. Although leading animal groups oppose the inherent cruelty of rodeos, Anheuser-Busch also sponsors the Professional Bull Riders "Bullnanza" rodeo event.

Animal Fighting

Anheuser-Busch has sponsored various animal fighting events, including bullfighting and cockfighting. In 2003, after public pressure encouraged by PETA, the company halted its sponsorship of cockfighting in Saipan, a Pacific island north of Guam. In a letter to PETA, Anheuser-Busch stated: “As a company, we care about animals and do not condone cockfighting." However, the bullfighting sponsorships in Mexico continue.

Animals for Entertainment

Besides selling beer, Anheuser-Busch also operates marine mammal parks and theme parks as part of its corporate empire. Busch Gardens has two locations: its African theme park in Tampa Bay, Florida, and its European theme park in Williamsburg, Virginia. Sea World Adventure Parks has three locations, including Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio. It also operates Discovery Cove in Orlando. The company has been criticized for its confinement and exploitation of wild animals, as well as its encroachment into natural areas to develop its sprawling theme park facilities.

One of the most high-profile controversies surrounds the captivity of the famous killer whale Shamu (also known "off-stage" as Corky). Environmentalists and animal rights activists have pushed for the release of the animal - which is actually a species of dolphin rather than whale - back into his wild habitat. Sea World, a division of Busch Entertainment Corporation owned by Anheuser-Busch, contends that Corky has been captive for too long and is better off remaining at the theme park. Another famous Orca named Keiko (popularized in the film Free Willy) was released back into the wild after living for years at a Mexico City amusement park.

Many of the animal attractions at Sea World are akin to zoo exhibits, including captive penguins, sea lions, seals, polar bears, walruses, sea turtles, stingrays, whales, dolphins, sharks, eels and fish. In other “shows,” dolphins and whales are trained to do acrobatic stunts and “dance” to blaring music. The park also touts performing sea lions, otters, dogs, cats, birds, rats, skunks, pot-belly pigs and other animals who are trained to do tricks such as high-wire walking and dune-buggy riding.

Anheuser-Busch claims that its use of animals at its theme parks goes beyond the realm of human entertainment. Its website emphasizes that all the dogs and cats used in its acts were rescued from animal shelters. Its manatee exhibit doubles as a rehabilitation facility for animals who eventually are released back into the wild. The company has established a conservation fund for species research, habitat protection and wildlife rehabilitation projects, and it provides educational information for students and teachers through the companion website SeaWorld.org.

Wildlife and Environment

The company produces an annual Environmental, Health and Safety Report. Among its environmental priorities is recycling. It owns a subsidiary that is the country’s largest aluminum can recycler. However, it does have a vested interest in the practice. The company also is one of the largest manufacturers of aluminum beverage cans. Although Anheuser-Busch’s conservation efforts are commendable, the company sends mixed messages about its commitment to wildlife and the environment. In a press release from the American Sportfishing Association, the company reportedly withdrew its financial support of the Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting marine wildlife and habitat, because the group opposed federal pro-fishing legislation.

Kudos for Producing Vegan Beers

Despite its poor track record of endorsing animal cruelty for sport and entertainment, Anheuser-Busch does not use animal byproducts in its beer. Some other beer products contain animal ingredients, such as pepsin (from pig stomachs) used to make the beer foam and isinglass (from fish bladders) or animal bone char to filter impurities out of the beer. A fact-checked list of vegan beers and wines can be found online at TasteBetter.com.

Anheuser-Busch Invested in Animal Cruelty

The Anheuser-Busch website does not contain any official responses to any of the animal rights criticisms. Its list of company values does not include anything related to animal welfare or the humane treatment of animals. Although Anheuser-Busch has backed off some of the most politically incorrect activities, such as sponsoring cockfighting overseas, it still has a huge vested interest in profiting from animal exploitation at its theme parks. Therefore, it is unlikely that the company will be able to claim that it is animal-friendly anytime soon, despite the animal images it uses in its advertising.