Many rodeo events, such as roping, bucking and wrestling events, involve rough handling which puts animals at risk of serious injury and death.
Rodeos will be eligible for recently announced B.C. government funding
The Government of British Columbia recently announced new funding for fairs, festivals, and events; but the inclusion of inhumane rodeo events is cause for concern.
Tell B.C.’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport that the use of taxpayer dollars to support inhumane and outdated rodeo events, which the majority of British Columbians oppose, is a step in the wrong direction.
Rodeo events, such as roping, bucking, wrestling and mutton busting (children riding sheep), are inherently stressful for animals. They rely on the use of fear, discomfort and aversive stimuli (flank straps and spurs) to make the animals perform for public entertainment.
These events also put animals at unnecessary risk of injury, such as broken bones, neck injuries and internal damage.
This is fundamentally at odds with how we should be handling and treating animals. In fact, it contradicts industry requirements and best practices for the handling of farmed animals, which state that quiet handling techniques are required.
A new study looking at calf-roping adds to the growing body of evidence that animals suffer in rodeo events. It found that calves exhibited signs of distress across every phase of the calf roping event, from being chased, lassoed and caught, to when they were released.
Most communities have moved away from rodeos and toward other types of family-friendly community events. For example, the Luxton Rodeo near Victoria was cancelled in 2015 and the Abbotsford Rodeo was cancelled in 2016. The City of Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver have already implemented a ban on rodeo events.
Take Action: Email the Minister of Tourism
Tip:Personalize your message to make it more impactful! The template below is editable, so feel free to share more about why this issue is important to you and alternative community events that you’d prefer to see supported through government funding.
Live outside of Canada? You can share your concerns, as a tourist, with the Minister at: TACS.minister@gov.bc.ca
Video from B.C. rodeos
Video footage from recent local rodeos reveals recurring welfare issues, including animals being roughly handled and deliberately agitated into fleeing and bucking.
Visible signs of stress during rodeo events include urination, defecation, excessive salivation, and an increase in the size of the white of the eye surrounding the pupil.
Rodeos include timed, fast-paced events that involve rough handling of animals. This is contradictory to the animal agriculture industry’s requirements for quiet, low-stress handling of animals on farms. The same mistreatment of animals in the rodeo arena would be considered animal cruelty if observed on a farm.
Many rodeo events, such as roping, bucking and wrestling events, involve rough handling which puts animals at risk of serious injury and death.
Injuries can include broken bones, neck and spinal injuries or internal damage. It can take up to 48 hours after the injury occurs to be identified.
The flank strap is tied around a bucking horse or bull’s sensitive hindquarters, creating pressure and discomfort that leads them to buck in an effort to remove the strap. Points are also awarded to the rider based on their use of spurs on the animal.
Prev
Next
Read & share: It’s time to stop using taxpayer money to fund inhumane events
“With a myriad of positive events that could use funds to reinvigorate the tourism sector and celebrate culture, community, and compassion, it would be incredibly disappointing for the Province to sink funding into a cruel and outdated practice that, as the majority of British Columbians agree, is better left in the past.”
Read the VHS’s opinion piece published in the Daily Hive Vancouver.
It’s been one year since the Prime Minister issued a mandate for the federal Minister of Agriculture to ban the live export of horses for slaughter. Since then, approximately 2,000 horses have been shipped on lengthy and stressful transport journeys abroad, destined for slaughter.
Speak up for horses: Support the recent federal e-petition calling for a ban by sending a message to decision-makers.
Action: Contact your MP and federal decision-makers
Use the email template below to send a personalized message to your Member of Parliament, the federal Minister of Agriculture and the Prime Minister, asking them to act to end the export of live horses for slaughter.
Note: If you live outside of Canada and want to take action, you can email the Prime Minister at: PM@pm.gc.ca and the Minister of Agriculture at: aafc.minister-ministre.aac@agr.gc.ca
Update – February 17, 2023: Letter from animal protection organizations highlights egregious suffering
A letter signed by nine animal protection organizations across Canada highlights the egregious suffering of horses sent on overseas journeys and urges the federal Minister of Agriculture to quickly end the cruel live horse export industry. Read an excerpt from the letter below:
Since the 2021 election, more than 2,000 horses have been exported from Canada to Japan for slaughter. Some of these horses were shipped out of Winnipeg on December 12, 2022. Because of flight delays, the horses were in transport without food, water, and rest for well over 28 hours. By the time they left Winnipeg at 9:18am that day, they had already been in transit without food, water, and rest for approximately 16.5 hours and there was no way that the 28 hour limit would be met if they continued on to Japan. Yet those involved proceeded with the shipment. Further delays in Seattle resulted in an even longer journey.So arduous were the conditions that at least three horses collapsed during the trip.
Read the full letter from Animal Justice Canada, the Winnipeg Humane Society, the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition, Manitoba Animal Save, the Vancouver Humane Society, Animal Save Movement, Humane Canada, World Animal Protection, and the BC SPCA.
Update – February 13, 2023: Federal e-petition has been presented in the House of Commons
A federal parliamentary e-petition, led by Jann Arden and sponsored by MP Alistair MacGregor, calls on the Minister of Agriculture to follow through on the federal government’s promise to end live horse export for slaughter.
Petition e-4190 to help protect horses from suffering through long, stressful journeys to slaughter closed February 7, 2023. The petition has been presented to the House of Commons and is awaiting response. Please stay tuned for updates.
Most Canadians would be surprised to learn that Canada is one of the top exporters of live horses for slaughter. Every year, approximately 3,000-5,000 live draft horses are loaded onto planes, packed tightly with 3-4 horses per crate, and flown abroad where they will be slaughtered for meat.
Horses’ journeys to slaughter are long and stressful
Horses can be transported for up to 28 hours without access to food, water or rest.
As sensitive prey animals with strong fight or flight instincts, this journey can be incredibly stressful.
Deaths and injuries have occurred, including one known incident of damage to an aircraft, which led to an emergency landing and the death of the horse involved.
There is also no obligation for countries on the receiving end to report back to Canada about the condition of the horses upon arrival.
Canadians are calling for change
Polling shows that a majority of Canadians are opposed to the practice of exporting live horses for slaughter.
The VHS supports organizations including the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition and advocates, like singer-songwriter Jann Arden, who have long been calling for an end to live horse export for slaughter. In Spring 2021, the VHS signed a group letter calling on the federal government to end the practice.
A federal parliamentary e-petition garnered more than 77,000 public signatures in support of a ban, making it one of the most popular animal-related federal petitions on record.
Despite promises, horses continue to suffer due to government inaction
In December 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau directed the Minister of Agriculture, Marie-Claude Bibeau, to ban the live export of horses for slaughter. One year later, horses continue to be shipped to their death as a result of government inaction.
Can you help protect horses from suffering through long journeys to slaughter?
The government’s public questionnaire, intended to inform Canada’s national school food policy, fails to mention plant-based food.
The federal government was seeking public input until December 16th, 2022 via an online questionnaire on the future of a national school food policy. The goal was toexpand school food programs across Canada to better provide healthy meals to children.
The questionnaire failed to mention anything about a shift to plant-based foods—a shocking misalignment with the government’s own food guide and climate targets.
A new national school food policy presents an important opportunity to align government policies and practices with the type of food system change that experts are urgently calling for.
Use the quick email tool to call on the federal government to ensure that a national school food policy reflects a much-needed shift toward a more sustainable, humane and healthy food system which prioritizes culturally-appropriate plant-based food consumption.
Tip:Personalize your message to make it more impactful! The template below is editable, so feel free to share more about why this issue is important to you.
Are you a parent/guardian of a school-aged child? Are you a student? Have you experienced food insecurity? Do you work in schools or have expertise in a relevant field?
Consider adding your unique perspective into the first sentence of the template. Example: “As a Canadian resident and a guardian of a school-aged child…”
More ways to help
Actions for teachers
Are you a teacher? Learn more about making plant-based eating part of your classroom routine!
The public questionnaire is now closed as of December 16th, 2022. To provide additional input on other elements of a national school food policy, please use the quick email tool above.
Ready to join the plant-forward movement?
Call on the federal government to ensure that plant-based food is a policy priority.
Ask your newly-elected Mayor & Council to protect animals from concerning rodeo events
The return of the Chilliwack rodeo this year, along with a controversial new rodeo held in Langley Township, has raised concerns about the well-being of animals made to perform in rodeo events. Video footage taken at both rodeos this summer shows stressed and frightened animals being roughly handled and deliberately agitated into fleeing and bucking.
Many communities have no protections preventing inherently inhumane rodeo practices. Now is the time to act to prevent animals from being used in cruel rodeo events!
During recent local elections in British Columbia, the VHS and advocates reached out to candidates on key animal welfare issues in their community, including the use of animals in inhumane rodeo events.
As local decision-makers move out of election season, now is an important time for residents to call for change. You can take action, whether you live in Langley Township, Chilliwack or elsewhere! Encourage your Mayor and Council to follow the lead of the City of Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver by passing a motion to prohibit inhumane rodeo practices, including roping, bucking, wrestling and mutton busting (children riding sheep) events.
Use this quick email tool to send a message to your newly-elected Mayor and Council. Note: If you live outside of Canada and want to take action, you can find your Mayor and Council’s contact information on your municipality’s websiteanduse the template text for inspiration.
Take Action: Email your Mayor & Council
Tip:Personalize your message to make it more impactful! The template below is editable, so feel free to share more about why this issue is important to you and alternative community events that you’d prefer to see more of.
The return of the Chilliwack rodeo this year, along with a controversial new rodeo held in Langley Township, has raised concerns about the well-being and welfare of animals made to perform in rodeo events. Video footage taken at both rodeos this summer shows stressed and frightened animals being roughly handled and deliberately agitated into fleeing and bucking.
Footage illustrates inhumane treatment of animals in rodeo events
The return of the Chilliwack rodeo this year, along with a controversial new rodeo held in Langley Township, has raised concerns about the well-being and welfare of animals made to perform in rodeo events. Video footage taken at both rodeos this summer shows stressed and frightened animals being roughly handled and deliberately agitated into fleeing and bucking.
The return of the Chilliwack rodeo this year, along with a controversial new rodeo held in Langley Township, has raised concerns about the well-being and welfare of animals made to perform in rodeo events. Video footage taken at both rodeos this summer shows stressed and frightened animals being roughly handled and deliberately agitated into fleeing and bucking.
Take Action
Municipal elections are taking place in British Columbia on October 15th. The lead up to these elections is a crucial opportunity to raise your concerns with candidates running for Mayor and Council in your community about the inhumane treatment of animals in rodeo events andnote it as an election issue for you.
Specifically, you may wish to ask candidates the following question:
If elected, will you support a municipal bylaw that follows the lead of other municipalities, like the City of Vancouver and District of North Vancouver, in prohibiting inhumane rodeo events and practices, such as roping, bucking, wrestling, mutton busting, and the use of flank straps and spurs?
Tip: To find your local candidates, visit your municipality’s website or search for “[Your municipality’s name] local election 2022”. You can find the list of candidates in Chilliwack and Langley Township below.
Speak up for sled dogs & wild animals in captivity
The provincial government has acknowledged that two key animal welfare issues are on their ‘to-do list’: regulations related to wild and exotic animals in captivity and dogs suffering in the commercial sled dog industry.
The VHS has shared recommendations for updating the regulations, but government action continues to be delayed and animals suffer in the meantime.
Members of B.C.’s Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are in their home constituencies for the summer, engaging with residents to find out what matters to them before returning to the B.C. Legislature at the start of October. Will you send an email to your MLA calling on them to raise these two issues – and the VHS’s recommendations – with the relevant B.C. Ministers?
Send an email to your MLA asking for action for sled dogs & wild animals in captivity
Consider the following key points as you outline your concerns in your own words. You can send a quick email using the form below.
Wild and exotic animals:
Wild and exotic animals have complex needs that are incredibly difficult to meet in captivity. As a result, they suffer when kept as pets or for entertainment, including in people’s homes, in zoos, aquariums and at animal rental companies.
Wild and exotic animals that escape or are abandoned can pose a risk to the public and to native species.
Media coverage has highlighted issues at captive facilities like the Vancouver Aquarium and Greater Vancouver Zoo, including concerns about animal care, animals pacing in small, unnatural enclosures, and incidents where people have been bitten.
Sled dogs:
Media coverage has highlighted investigations into the commercial sled dog industry in Canada, including an investigation last year that led to the BC SPCA seizing neglected dogs from a sled dog operator.
Videos of commercial sled dog operations often show dogs pacing back and forth at the end of a chain, with little protection from the cold or heat and few opportunities to play or socialize.
Sled dogs can be tethered or caged for prolonged periods of time, as they are only required to be released once a day and there are no requirements for how long. They are also still subject to inhumane methods of euthanasia. Sled dog tour companies in B.C. are allowed to shoot surplus dogs, provided the operator has made a reasonable effort to rehome the dogs.
Speak up for sled dogs & wild animals in captivity
The government has so far been inactive on the VHS’s recommendations to improve laws for sled dogs and wild animals in captivity. Will you ask your MLA to speak up to change the laws? Take action now!
Sled dogs & wild animals in captivity need your help
Wild, exotic animals confined in captivity and dogs suffering in thecommercial sled dog industry are two issues that the provincial government has acknowledged are on their ‘to-do list’; but action continues to be delayed and animals suffer in the meantime.
Here’s where YOU come in! By contacting your B.C. MLA, you can help ensure these crucial animal welfare issues are acknowledged as a priority for the provincial government.
You don’t need to be an expert on either of these topics. Instead, what’s important is that they hear why these issues matter to you; what your concerns are; and that you want them to raise the issues, along with the VHS’s recommendations, with the relevant B.C. Ministers.
The VHS put together a step-by-step guide to help engage your MLA and is here to support you along the way. Sign up to receive your MLA engagement guide and get in touch with your MLA today!
Sign up below to get your MLA engagement guide
Ask your MLA to speak up for:
1) Wild and exotic animals in captivity
Wild and exotic animals (animals not native to B.C.) kept in captivity have complex needs that aren’t being met in cages and tanks and that are crucial for their physical and mental well-being.
In captivity, these animals are are cut off from exploring new territory with engaging sights and smells. They are often kept alone or in unnatural social groups, with the inability to escape from other animals they don’t get along with. They are also unable to engage in many behaviours that are natural to them, including hunting. As a result, captive wild and exotic animals often show signs of stress, boredom, and even aggression.
Many wild and exotic animals are legally kept in captivity throughout B.C., including:
kept in zoos and aquariums with enclosures a fraction of the size of their natural home range
kept in poor conditions by animal rental agencies for use in TV, film and events
suffering as a result of inadequate housing, nutrition and care when kept as pets
The VHS has been documenting the conditions of animals at the Greater Vancouver Zoo and Vancouver Aquarium for years.
The video below illustrates the need for changes to B.C.’s rules around wild and exotic animals in captivity.
Wild and exotic animals are suffering in captivity in British Columbia as a result of outdated regulations. Learn more and take action: https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/?p=26184
2) Sled dogs in commercial sled dog tourism industry
In the commercial sled dog tourism industry are often kept chained outdoors for prolonged periods of time, with little opportunity to exhibit natural behaviours or socialize. When they can no longer be used by the industry, they are subjected to inhumane methods of euthanasia.
Undercover investigations and whistleblowers have shared evidence of:
dogs pacing repetitively
dogs chained in barren yards with access to dog houses that provide little protection from the heat and cold
stories of dogs being euthanized inhumanely, including by gunshot
In fact, B.C.’s current Sled Dog Standards of Care allow for sled dogs to be tethered or caged for prolonged periods of time, as they are only required to be released once a day and there are no requirements for how long. Sled dog tour companies are permitted to shoot surplus sled dogs, so long as the operator has made reasonable efforts to try to rehome the sled dog.
The video below, from B.C.-based tour companies, highlights the need to update the province’s sled dog regulations.
Sled dogs in British Columbia are still suffering as a result of outdated regulations. Learn more and take action: https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/?p=26184
Unable to meet or speak with your MLA, but still want to take action?
Annual Calgary Stampede wraps up, but not without cruelty and controversy
The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS), concerned Calgarians and animal advocates across Canada are continuing to call for an end to the rodeo and chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede. This comes after a horse was euthanized following a traumatic injury in the chuckwagon races and two other incidents during a bucking event and steer wrestling event prompted cruelty complaints.
The VHS issued a media releasefollowing the inhumane handling of a horse during the bucking event and steer in the wrestling event, as well as the death of the horse in the chuckwagon race. The VHS is calling on the Calgary Stampede and Calgary City Council to remove the chuckwagon races and rodeo events from the Stampede program.
#SayNoToRodeo
Show your support for ending the Calgary Stampede chuckwagon races and rodeo events by taking and sharing the #SayNoToRodeo pledge.
Horse fatality during chuckwagon race
According to a release by the Stampede, a horse sustained an injury during the fourth heat of the chuckwagon races on Thursday, July 14th, and was euthanized.
A witness to the incident said that the injured horse fell and was subsequently trampled by the wagon. They described it as pure chaos, with Stampede staff surrounding the injured horse with tarps, to prevent the public from seeing what was taking place.
More than 70 horses have been killed in the chuckwagon races since the VHS started tracking fatalitiesin 1986. In the last two decades, there have only been 3 years in which the races did not result in horse fatalities: 2003, 2004, and 2016. The last year the chuckwagon races were held in 2019, six horses were killed.
Cruelty during bucking and wrestling events
The VHS also filed cruelty reports to the Calgary Humane Society regarding two other incidents that occurred at the Stampede this year.
1. Horse struck in the face during saddle bronc event
The first incident happened during a bucking event, in which a horse was repeatedly struck in the face when the animal was reluctant to leave the chute.
Footage: Recording of Sportsnet coverage
2. Steer seen limping after landing on hind leg
In another incident during a steer wrestling event, a steer’s neck was twisted by the competitor until the animal fell to the ground, landing awkwardly on his hind leg. Moments later the steer was seen limping.
Footage: Recording of Sportsnet coverage
Raise awareness about animal suffering at the Calgary Stampede
Follow & share Rodeo Truth on social media
Check outRodeoTruth.com, a collaboration between the Vancouver Humane Society and concerned Calgarians, for more information about the realities of rodeo.
You can also follow Rodeo Truth onFacebook, Instagram and TikTok for more content you can share to raise awareness of – and opposition to – cruel rodeo events.
Calgary Stampede chuckwagon races. Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur/WeAnimals Media
VANCOUVER, July 15, 2022 – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is calling on the Calgary Stampede and Calgary City Council to remove the chuckwagon races from the Stampede program following the death of a chuckwagon horse during yesterday’s event.
According to a release by the Stampede, a horse sustained an injury during the fourth heat of the chuckwagon races on July 14th and had to be euthanized. This follows the deaths of six horses in 2019, when the chuckwagon races were last held prior to the pandemic. More than 70 chuckwagon horses have died since the VHS started tracking deaths in 1986.
“There’s a reason why the chuckwagon races are dubbed the half-mile of hell,” says VHS Campaign Director Emily Pickett. “The fact that horses die nearly every year in this event illustrates this.”
The VHS points to the structure of the chuckwagon event as inherently dangerous due to the high speed of the race and the close proximity of the horses and wagons to each other, which also presents a risk of creating a chain reaction if one horse falls or is injured. The VHS also cites concerns around the use of thoroughbred race horses in the event; animal Scientist Temple Grandin has noted that thoroughbreds are often overbred for speed rather than skeletal strength, making their legs susceptible to injury.
“The chuckwagon horse fatalities at the Calgary Stampede can no longer be called ‘unpreventable’. We know exactly what would prevent them; removing the chuckwagon races, which have caused the deaths of horses nearly every year.”
The VHS is also calling for an end to calf roping, team roping, steer wrestling and bucking events at the Calgary Stampede, noting that the events rely on the use of fear, stress and pain to make the animals perform for public entertainment.The VHS has filed cruelty complaints to the Calgary Humane Society regarding two concerning incidents witnessed on Sportsnet coverage of this year’s Stampede rodeo, including an incident in which a horse in a bucking event was repeatedly struck in the face when the animal was reluctant to leave the chute. In another incident during a steer wrestling event, a steer’s neck was twisted by the competitor until the animal fell to the ground, landing awkwardly on his hind leg. Moments later the steer was seen limping.
“Public polling shows that the majority of Canadians oppose the use of animals in rodeos,” said Pickett. “It’s time for the Calgary Stampede to move away from dangerous and inhumane events that pose a risk to animals and to instead focus on the many alternative activities that already attract hundreds of thousands of attendees every year.”
The VHS has teamed up with concerned Calgarians to draw attention to animal welfare issues at the Stampede’s chuckwagon races and rodeo events through a collaborative project, RodeoTruth.com. The Rodeo Truth website includes a #SayNoToRodeo pledge, which more than 2,100 people have already signed to indicate their opposition to animal performances at the Stampede.
Canada’s largest rodeo, the Calgary Stampede, is making a full return for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Animals will be subjected to inhumane bucking, wrestling and roping events. This year will mark the first time the chuckwagon races are being held since 2019, when 6 horses died. To date, more than 100 animals have died at the Calgary Stampede.
Share the truth about rodeo
The Vancouver Humane Society is collaborating with concerned Calgarians to raise awareness about the distress and unnecessary risk of injury and death that animals face in rodeo events at the Calgary Stampede.
The new microsite, RodeoTruth.com, hosts a wealth of information, including the latest science about rodeo-related animal welfare issues; a breakdown of the Calgary Stampede rodeo events; engaging videos that you can share to help raise public awareness; and a #SayNoToRodeo pledge that you can take to reflect your opposition to inhumane rodeo events.
Help speak up for animals used in rodeos by sharing the new Rodeo Truth website and taking the #SayNoToRodeo pledge.
You can also follow the new Rodeo Truth social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for more content you can share to raise awareness of – and opposition to – cruel rodeo events.