Gary Hall’s journey in animal advocacy began at the grassroots level, driven by a deep sense of injustice toward the treatment of animals. From those early days of hands-on activism, he went on to serve within the Animal Justice Party and later worked in the Parliament of Victoria for the Party’s first elected Victorian member.
Over time, his focus gravitated toward one of the most overlooked and voiceless species in Australia — sheep. Living in regional Victoria, he witnessed firsthand the widespread suffering of sheep and lambs, and it became clear that they desperately needed a dedicated advocate.
A decade later, he now leads Sheep Advocate Australia, the country’s only organisation solely dedicated to the welfare of sheep. Their work combines direct cruelty reporting with legislative advocacy — challenging outdated agricultural codes of practice and pushing for reform at both state and national levels. Sheep Advocate Australia’s mission is to give sheep the recognition, protection, and justice they deserve within Australia’s welfare frameworks and policies.
www.sheepadvocate.com.au
Single Species Advocacy
Sheep Advocate Australia will present Single Species Advocacy as a focused, strategic approach to achieving systemic change for sheep within Victoria’s legislative framework — while simultaneously pushing for reform at a National Standards level. The presentation will outline the key steps, plans, and challenges of confronting a regulatory system designed to protect industry interests rather than animals.
At its heart, this presentation exposes the hidden realities of Standard Farming Practices and the widespread, normalised abuse sheep endure under the guise of legality and tradition. By bringing these truths to light — and combining them with our strategic welfare reporting model — Sheep Advocate Australia aims to inspire a deeper shift in advocacy direction.
We call upon individuals, organisations, and policymakers to reject participation in the sheep industry and, ultimately, the broader killing industries, in pursuit of a compassionate future.
Through challenging the current welfare reporting framework in Victoria, Sheep Advocate Australia reveals the profound flaws in Australia’s attitude toward sheep — and seeks to expand its mission by establishing Sheep Advocate Australia – NSW to strengthen this movement nationwide.
