Author: Chantelle Archambault

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The truth about rodeo

The rodeo industry and its supporters have put forward many arguments to defend rodeo. Keep reading to learn the truth about rodeo and how to counter some of the most common arguments.

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1. Animals used in rodeo are at risk of stress and injury.

Defenders of rodeo will often argue that rodeo animals are valuable, so they would not be mistreated or put at risk. This is like saying that race car drivers would not put their valuable cars at risk in motor racing. The fact is that the financial rewards outweigh the risk.

Professional rodeo offers large cash prizes and generates significant revenue for those involved. Rodeos are marketed as “exciting” because they are risky and fast-paced, putting animals in danger of stress and injury. For instance, recent research into calf roping has confirmed that calves show visible signs of anxiety and fear while being chased and have elevated levels of stress hormones after roping events.

2. Rodeo animals have no choice.

Rodeo supporters will point out that other sports carry a risk of injury, such as boxing or racecar driving. The difference is that rodeo animals, unlike human athletes, have no choice in the matter.

Is it likely a calf or steer would choose to be roped and thrown to the ground? Would a bull choose to be goaded into an arena of thousands of screaming people with someone on his back and a belt tied around his hindquarters?

3. Rodeo events bear little resemblance to traditional ranch practices.

The rodeo industry markets itself as an important part of western heritage and tradition. In fact, most rodeo events bear little or no resemblance to real ranch practices, historic or modern.

For example, why would a real cowboy ride a bull? Why would a real cowboy want to make a horse buck with a flank strap?

A key issue is that rodeo events are timed, whereas real ranch practices are not. The National Farm Animal Care Council’s Code of Practice for Handling of Beef Cattle requires that animal handlers must use quiet handling techniques. Specifically, they recommend against animals falling during handling, and suggest using handling tools, such as flags, plastic paddles or rattles, to direct animal movement. Timing makes these events faster, more stressful and more dangerous to the animals. Real calf roping on ranches is a far more gentle practice in which calves are roped at slow speeds.

4. Chuckwagon races are “a cruel detour to the slaughterhouse”.

Some event supporters will argue against protecting animals from poor treatment in chuckwagon races because they are going to be slaughtered anyway. The fact that some animals will eventually be slaughtered for food is not a justification for abusing them before they die.

Chuckwagon races have been termed “a cruel detour to the slaughterhouse.” While we slaughter millions of animals every day for food, no one would suggest putting it on show, timing it and awarding a prize to the fastest slaughterhouse worker.

5. Events can replace rodeo with animal-friendly and family-friendly entertainment.

Although rodeo is still treated as family entertainment in many places, it is losing popularity as it continues to cause animal suffering.

Many rodeos are part of fairs or other cultural events. By dropping cruel rodeo events, these fairs can become more animal-friendly and family-friendly. They can also gain the support of the 59% of Canadians who oppose the use of animals in rodeo.

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Latest news

Media Release

Two chuckwagons collided at Saturday’s chuckwagon race, leading to serious injury for horse 

VANCOUVER, July 12, 2026 – A horse has been seriously injured during the July 11th chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede, prompting renewed calls from the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) to remove the dangerous event from the Stampede program.  The horse suffered a serious injury when two teams collided while attempting to round the barrels during heat 3 of the races. Stampede representatives shared that an initial exam revealed no fractures, but the injury is…

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Media Release

Vancouver Humane Society calls for an end to inhumane rodeo events at the Calgary Stampede

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is calling on the Calgary Stampede to discontinue a number of inhumane rodeo events, which cause animal suffering, stress, and even death for the sake of entertainment. VHS urges the Calgary Stampede to eliminate three particularly concerning events: calf roping, steer wrestling, and team roping.

“It is impossible to look at close-up photos of these rodeo events without concluding that the animals are suffering,” said VHS Campaign Director Emily Pickett. “The fear in the face of a calf who has been roped at full speed, thrown to the ground, and tied up is obvious and heartbreaking.”

Recent research into calf roping has confirmed that calves show visible signs of anxiety and fear while being chased and have elevated levels of stress hormones after roping events.

There is some good news for animals at the Calgary Stampede. The dangerous and fast-paced chuckwagon races—which have been dubbed the “half mile of hell”—were cancelled this year due to safety concerns surrounding the lack of a racing season ahead of the Stampede. The Calgary Stampede also made the recent decision to drop one wagon from the race; it remains to be seen whether this will decrease the risk of injury and death. Animal advocates hope that these measures are only the first step toward a safer event.

This year’s cancellation of the chuckwagon races would offer an excellent opportunity to address ongoing safety concerns that have led to more than 70 horse deaths since 1986. VHS calls on the Calgary Stampede to suspend the races until an independent review by experts, including veterinarians, animal behaviourists, and equine specialists, can determine whether or not the event can be made safe for the animals involved.

Dropping events that compromise the welfare and well-being of animals does not mean the end of the Calgary Stampede. In fact, a more animal-friendly and family-friendly Stampede could continue to be a successful attraction with the added support of the 59 per cent of Canadians who oppose using animals in rodeo. VHS has launched a campaign encouraging the public to call on Stampede organizers to drop these inhumane rodeo events and seek an independent, expert review of the chuckwagon races.

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For further information: Contact Emily Pickett: 604-416-2902

RELATED LINKS
https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/posts/inhumane-rodeo-calgary-stampede/
https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/

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End inhumane rodeo events at the Calgary Stampede

A calf struggles to break free as her legs are tied during the calf roping rodeo event.

Update

Though the chuckwagon races did not proceed in 2021 due to time-sensitive safety concerns, Stampede organizers have not committed to removing this dangerous event or the three concerning rodeo events highlighted by 5,354 animal supporters. Please stay tuned for future actions to address cruel events at the Calgary Stampede.

UPDATE – July 26, 2021

A horse was euthanized this weekend following a chuckwagon race in Red Deer, Alberta.

This comes after the Calgary Stampede cancelled their 2021 chuckwagon races due to safety concerns surrounding the lack of a practice season during COVID-19.

The chuckwagon races always pose a risk to horses because of the fast pace of the event and the proximity of wagons and horses on the track. There are also concerns about the use thoroughbred horses in chuckwagon racing, which tend to be bred for speed rather than skeletal strength. This puts them at greater risk of serious injury and euthanization.

The horse who was euthanized this weekend was diagnosed with a muscular-skeletal injury after the accident.

The loss was tragic and preventable.

Please call on the Calgary Stampede to extend their suspension of the chuckwagon races until an independent review by animal experts can determine if they can be made safer.

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The majority of Canadians are opposed to rodeo; so why does a Canadian event marketing itself as “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” continue to host rodeo events?

59% of Canadians are opposed to using animals in rodeo, and yet the Calgary Stampede continues to host cruel rodeo events year after year that cause animal suffering, stress, and even death. It is clear to most people that twisting a steer’s neck until he falls down or stretching him by the neck and hind legs so he is suspended above the ground is inhumane, but these activities are carried out for the sake of so-called entertainment in the form of steer wrestling and team roping every year.

Watch: The cruel reality of calf roping

The cruel reality of calf roping

This is calf roping, an event held at rodeos including the Calgary Stampede. Take action to end inhumane rodeo events and create an animal-friendly, family-friendly Stampede here: https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/posts/inhumane-rodeo-calgary-stampede/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video-calf-roping&utm_campaign=calgary_stampede

Perhaps the most obviously cruel event is calf roping (also known as tie-down roping), where a calf who is just three months old—long before the age she should even be weaned from her mother—is tormented or “goaded” in a chute leading from a holding pen to the rodeo arena, so that she bursts out at a high speed as soon as the gate opens. Then, as she runs into a ring at around 27 miles per hour, the confused calf is roped around the neck by a rider and jerked to a sudden stop. The rider will then jump to the ground and quickly tie three of the calf’s legs together as she struggles to break free.

Animals used for calf roping, steer wrestling, and team roping can and have sustained injuries during these events that cost them their lives.

Photos of the events make it clear that these animals also experience pain and stress while being roped and roughly handled. Recent research into calf roping has confirmed that calves show visible signs of anxiety and fear while being chased and have elevated levels of stress hormones after roping events.

Another major event at the Calgary Stampede is the chuckwagon races, which has been dubbed the “half mile of hell” by organizers and participants. The races involve several teams of horses pulling wagons in a figure eight course and racing down a track at high speed to the finish line. This dangerous event has caused more than 70 horse deaths since 1986—mainly due to crash injuries and heart attacks brought on by stress. Though the event has been cancelled this year due to COVID-19, organizers have announced a plan to resume the event in 2022.

Watch: The Chuckwagon races, the Calgary Stampede’s deadliest event

The Chuckwagon races: The Calgary Stampede’s deadliest event

These are the Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races, which have caused over 70 horse deaths since 1986.

What has been done to stop these events?

Thanks to the hard work of Vancouver Humane Society’s supporters and other animal rights advocates, some progress has been made in past years in an attempt to reduce animal injuries at the Calgary Stampede. The number of wagons in the chuckwagon races was reduced from four to three following the deaths of six horses in 2019; it remains to be seen whether this measure alone will make the “half mile of hell” any safer for horses.

Up to this point, progress toward making the Stampede more animal-friendly and family-friendly has been slow and hard-won. A serious change by the Calgary Stampede is long overdue to make this fair one that truly represents the values of Canadians.

What’s next?

The Vancouver Humane Society is calling on Calgary Stampede Interim CEO Dana Peers to remove three of the fair’s most inhumane rodeo events: calf roping, steer wrestling, and team roping. The cancellation of the 2021 chuckwagon races also offers an opportunity to employ an independent review by experts (i.e. veterinarians, animal behaviourists, equine specialists) to determine whether or not this event can be made safer in future years. If the Calgary Stampede wishes to be the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”, it must stop causing animal suffering and leave these events where they belong: in the past.

Take action to end inhumane rodeo events!

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VHS is helping women and pets in crisis

Accessing housing when you have a pet is difficult. Accessing housing when you are a single woman with a pet and a limited income is nearly impossible. VHS’s Helping Women and Pets in Crisis program aims to change that. VHS is working in partnership with shelters and transition houses to break down housing barriers for women with pets and to assist with necessary veterinary costs. Partnerships with agencies like North Shore Crisis Services (NSCS) will ensure these supports are available to women who are fleeing domestic violence and in otherwise vulnerable situations.

Currently, individuals facing a period of low or no income can face major barriers accessing veterinary care. Many are forced to choose between treating their beloved pet’s medical emergency and affording their own necessities. This was the case for Mariam, who reached out to VHS after her cat Odin became ill. “We spent our rent money to get him medicine in the hospital to prevent him from suffering. I accepted that I would have to go without some basic needs and put off rent for a couple of months to catch up financially.”

Thanks to you, the Helping Women and Pets in Crisis program covered part of Mariam’s urgent veterinary costs so that she could access care for Odin and maintain her family’s housing. You can learn more or donate to this valuable program here.

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Media Release

New report shows that animal services can help more animals through policy and practice changes

VANCOUVER – A new report developed by the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) aims to bring animal services into the conversation about equity in order to improve outcomes for animals, their guardians, and animal services workers.

People from all backgrounds enjoy the companionship and mental health benefits of animals, but people who are placed-at-risk—those experiencing poverty or systemic discrimination, who are often at a higher risk of dealing with past traumas—can face barriers in caring for their pets. The report, called “Helping people and animals together”, features interviews with people who have faced negative experiences accessing animal services such as animal rescue, sheltering, or bylaw.

One participant featured in the report was a survivor of domestic violence who had attempted to surrender their cat for fear of the cat’s safety. The participant was prohibited by their partner from carrying money and did not have the fee required to transfer the cat into a shelter. “The [worker] was very insistent that from then on I will never be able to adopt another animal,” they said, “and honestly it broke my heart”.

Animal services agencies have a unique opportunity to address the barriers people face in caring for their pets and end the cycle of trauma for both animals and their guardians. The report lays out strategies rooted in trauma-informed and culturally safe approaches that agencies can employ.

In particular, the report highlights an approach that builds connections with people and communities and helps them to access resources for their animals. This outreach-based approach offers a more permanent solution than the current system of surrenders and seizures, which breaks up the human-animal bond and protects a single animal while putting future animals at risk. It offers an opportunity to create a more supportive framework in the overburdened and underfunded animal services sector, where staff are at a high risk of burnout and compassion fatigue.

In making suggestions for improvement, the report also features interviews with workers in the animal services sector and people working in sectors that already use a trauma-informed approach, like child protection and social work.

The report was made possible with the support of the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada, the Vancouver Foundation, and the Government of British Columbia. Animal services workers and anyone interested in human and animal welfare can read the full report about “taking a trauma-informed, culturally safe approach towards assisting placed-at-risk people with addressing animal neglect” on the Vancouver Humane Society website.

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For further information: Amy Morris: 604-416-2901

Read the original media release on NewsWire.ca.

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Poisons continue to threaten wildlife across B.C.

A golden eagle flies away after being rescued from a close call with wildlife poisons

Poisons continue to threaten wildlife across B.C. Join us in calling for an immediate ban.

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A golden eagle is finally back in the wild after a very close call with wildlife poisons. The beautiful bird was rescued from a Grand Forks backyard and taken to the South Okanagan Rehabilitation Centre for Owls (SORCO). There, staff gave him an antidote in the nick of time; in another hour, they said, he may not have been able to recover.

In an interview with Global News, SORCO manager Dale Belvedere said that she couldn’t trace the exact source of the golden eagle’s poisoning, “But I would say some sort of rodenticide because he did react very quickly to the antidote. If it was lead poisoning, we’re talking a totally different antidote and he wouldn’t have reacted as he did.”

Rodenticides are a type of wildlife poison used to target rodents. The highly toxic substances cause a slow and painful death for the animals that ingest them—and as in the case of the Grand Forks golden eagle, those animals are often not the only victims. Birds of prey like owls and hawks, scavengers like crows and raccoons, and even domestic pets are all at risk of secondary poisoning from eating poisoned mice and rats.

Though this golden eagle was in rough shape after his rescue, he has now made a full recovery and has since been released. Countless other birds of prey are not so lucky, like an entire family of owls on Vancouver Island that was completely wiped out by wildlife poisons recently.

Photo: Gyl Anderson

The team at MARS Wildlife Rescue tried to save this poisoned owlet, but sadly she passed away.

The team at MARS Wildlife Rescue were called in to rescue an owlet found alone in a nest whose parents were deceased below the tree. The owlet, who was weak and lethargic, was rushed to the centre for treatment for suspected rodenticide poisoning, but sadly she did not survive. “We are devastated by the loss of an entire family of Great Horned Owls and it is disheartening to know that this is the reality that many owl families face since rodenticides are still legal to use and widely available in B.C.,” says Gylaine Andersen, Manager of Wildlife Rehabilitation at MARS Wildlife Rescue Centre. “Even young owls that have not yet learned to fly and hunt can be poisoned when they are fed contaminated meat by their doting parents. It is a tragedy that is easily preventable.”

“We are devastated by the loss of an entire family of Great Horned Owls and it is disheartening to know that this is the reality that many owl families face since rodenticides are still legal to use and widely available in B.C.”
Gylaine Andersen, MARS Wildlife Rescue Centre
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Stories like this are why VHS is calling for a ban on inhumane and indiscriminate rodenticides in B.C.

Thanks to the support of people like you, we are making progress on this effort. To date, more than 2,100 VHS supporters have pledged their support for a province-wide ban on rodenticides.

We recently pointed to this growing support in a productive meeting with a variety of concerned stakeholders, including other wildlife advocates, representatives from the District of North Vancouver and Minister Murray Rankin’s office, and North Vancouver-Seymour MLA Susie Chant. We look forward to continuing this important discussion around the need for a province-wide ban of these dangerous poisons. Each pledge makes a difference as we advance this issue with decision-makers from local municipalities and the province; but we still have a long way to go to protect animals.

Take Action

If you have not yet taken the pledge, we invite you to add your name and join VHS, other organizations, and advocates in calling on the B.C. government and municipalities to ban rodenticides. Pledge numbers will be referred to in meetings with local and provincial decision-makers. For more information about this issue, please see the rodenticide fact sheet and our shared briefing note.

You can double your impact by sharing this page using the buttons below. Together, we can protect B.C. wildlife.