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Farmed animals are among the most directly impacted by human activity. More than 830 million land animals were raised and killed for food in Canada in 2019. Society’s overconsumption of animal products has led to the rise of the industrial animal agriculture system, characterized by:
- large numbers of animals
- confined in cramped, barren and unnatural conditions
Animals are kept in cages or stalls that severely limit their ability to behave naturally and socially. Young are separated from their mothers much earlier than would naturally occur, often on the day they were born.
On-farm practices that result in animal suffering include:
- painful procedures without the use of pain control
- rough handling and the use of electric prods
- untimely or no treatment of injury and disease
- inhumane methods of euthanasia
Practices and conditions surrounding the transport, auction and slaughter processes are also incredibly stressful for animals.
Every year in Canada, approximately 14 million animals suffer injuries and 1.6 million die during transport journeys that are often long-distance and in extreme weather conditions.
At slaughterhouses, thousands of animals are killed per day, resulting in a fast-paced, dangerous environment for both the animals and the workers.
While choosing plant-based is the most effective way for each person to reduce the demand for animal agriculture—and the suffering of animals—there are also actions you can take today to advocate for changes to the industry’s cruelest practices.
Check out VHS’s current campaigns at the top of this page to take quick actions in support of addressing the suffering of farmed animals.
Past campaigns
