Category: Media Release

Vancouver – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is calling on the Canadian Football League (CFL) to drop plans to hold a rodeo as part of this year’s Grey Cup Festival in Calgary.

“After the public outrage at the deaths of six horses at this year’s Calgary Stampede and the Stampede’s long history of controversy over animal deaths and cruelty, it’s hard to understand why the CFL would associate itself with rodeo,” said VHS spokesman Peter Fricker.

Fricker pointed to polling that shows a majority of Canadians (63%) are opposed to rodeo, as are virtually all animal welfare organizations.

“As the Grey Cup is a national event, including a rodeo is clearly unrepresentative of Canadian values and interests,” Fricker said.  “People in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, where CFL attendance has been in decline, have little interest in rodeos.”  He noted that Vancouver banned rodeos in 2006.

Fricker said the CFL should look to the example of the National Basketball Association and the Toronto Raptors, which marketed family-friendly entertainment to a diverse and inclusive audience that represented modern Canadian values.

“It seems tone-deaf for the CFL to link Canadian football to rodeo at the league’s premiere event,” he said.

VHS has launched a campaign asking the public to urge the CFL to drop the rodeo from its Grey Cup plans.

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VANCOUVER, /CNW/ 

The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is calling on the Calgary Stampede to cancel next year’s chuckwagon race after three more horses died in the event on the last day of the Stampede. A total of six horses have died in this year’s event.

A horse died in the race last year and more than 65 chuckwagon horses have died at the Stampede since 1986.

“This is a national disgrace,” said VHS spokesman Peter Fricker. “Horses die virtually every year in this event. The chuckwagon race clearly puts horses at undue risk of injury and death.”

VHS is calling on the Stampede to cancel the race and set up a panel of independent experts to review the event to determine if it can be made safer. Fricker said companies that sponsor the race should withdraw their support until this happens.

VHS says the Stampede rodeo should also eliminate calf-roping and steer-wrestling, which it says cause the animals fear, pain and stress for the sake of entertainment.

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VANCOUVER, July 9, 2019 /CNW/ – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is calling on the Calgary Stampede to suspend its chuckwagon race after yet another horse died in the event on Monday. A horse died in the race last year and more than 60 chuckwagon horses have died at the Stampede since 1986.

“Horses die in this race virtually every year,” said VHS spokesman Peter Fricker. “The chuckwagon race clearly puts horses at undue risk of injury and death.”

VHS is calling on the Stampede to suspend the race and set up a panel of independent experts to review the event to determine if it can be made safer. Fricker said companies that sponsor the race should withdraw their support until this happens.

VHS says the Stampede rodeo should also eliminate calf-roping and steer-wrestling, which it says cause the animals fear, pain and stress for the sake of entertainment.

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VANCOUVER, July 4, 2019 /CNW/ – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is calling on the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) to speak out against cruel rodeo events at the Calgary Stampede and rodeos across Canada. More than 1400 people have emailed the CVMA about the issue, as part of a VHS campaign.

The society says the CVMA should act in accordance with its own position on the use of animals in entertainment by taking a public stand against inhumane rodeo events.

The CVMA’s position statement on animals being used in entertainment and recreation states that it “opposes activities, contests, or events that have a high probability of causing injury, distress, or illness.” It also states that: “Animals should not be forced to perform actions or tasks that result in physical or mental distress or discomfort.”

VHS says it is self-evident that animals in certain rodeo events are forced to perform actions that result in, at the very least, distress and discomfort. “So why is the CVMA silent on the abuse of these animals, which are subjected to fear, pain and stress for the sake of entertainment,” said VHS spokesperson Peter Fricker.

Fricker points out that the CVMA website says “Animal welfare advocacy is a priority of the CVMA and the Canadian Veterinary Oath requires CVMA members to “prevent and relieve animal suffering.”

“The CVMA needs to live up to its principles and take a public stand against rodeo cruelty,” said Fricker.

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Vancouver- The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) has asked candidates for Chilliwack mayor and council to state their position on the controversial Chilliwack Fair rodeo, as a new poll reveals that most Chilliwack residents are opposed to rodeos.

The poll, commissioned by VHS from Research Co., found that 52 per cent of Chilliwack residents are opposed to rodeos, with 40 per cent in favour.  VHS has provided each candidate with the poll results.

The poll also found that 62 per cent of B.C. residents are opposed to rodeos, with 29 per cent in favour.  It also found that 70 per cent of B.C. residents aged 18 to 34 are opposed to rodeo, with 25 per cent in favour.

“The poll shows that most people in Chilliwack don’t agree with rodeos and we’d like to hear the candidates’ response to that,” said VHS spokesperson Peter Fricker.  “It also shows that there is little support for rodeo among younger people in B.C., suggesting rodeos will become even more unpopular in the coming years.”

Fricker said that VHS hoped candidates would be forthcoming with their views, given the public controversy over the Chilliwack Fair rodeo during the summer.  “We think people running for office should be willing to give their position on a matter of public interest,” he said.  Each candidate was contacted by email on September 25.

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Vancouver – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) has obtained photographs showing an electric shock device apparently being used on animals at last weekend’s Chilliwack Fair rodeo.  VHS says such devices are cruel and should not be used to make rodeo animals perform.  The society says it will make a formal complaint to the fair and will demand an explanation as to why the electric prods were present.

VHS says the photos show the device being held by a man preparing bulls for release from the chutes in several bull-riding events at the rodeo.  The device appears to be an electric prod known as a “Hot-Shot”, which can generate 4500 volts.

“No animal should be exposed to electric shocks just to make them perform for a crowd,” said VHS spokesperson Peter Fricker.  “Rodeo animals already suffer from being roped, spurred and goaded into performing.  Now they have to endure electric shocks as well?”

VHS also obtained a number of other photos at the rodeo, which it says clearly shows rodeo animals in distress.

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Superstar and B.C. native Pamela Anderson has added her voice to a campaign against B.C.’s Chilliwack Fair rodeo, which starts this Friday.

Anderson yesterday tweeted her support for the campaign by the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) calling for an end to cruel rodeo events at the fair. Her tweet to more than a million Twitter followers said: “Let’s end rodeo cruelty in Chilliwack.”

VHS has been calling for an end to cruel events such as calf-roping, steer-wrestling and team-roping at the fair’s annual rodeo and urging local businesses and residents not to support the event. “There is no doubt that animals suffer in rodeos and people who care about animals should take a stand against the cruelty involved, said VHS spokesperson Peter Fricker.

“We appreciate Ms. Anderson’s support and acknowledgment of the inherent cruelty involved,” Fricker said.

VHS has published online photos of rodeo animals in distress taken at previous Chilliwack Fairs.

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VANCOUVER, July 12, 2018 /CNW/ – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is calling on the Calgary Stampede to suspend its chuckwagon race after yet another horse had to be euthanized after being injured in the event on Wednesday. More than 60 chuckwagon horses have died at the Stampede since 1986.

“Nearly every year horses die in this race, which clearly puts them at undue risk of injury and death,” said VHS spokesman Peter Fricker. “The Stampede has failed to stop horses dying and the public should let them know this is unacceptable.”

VHS is calling on the Stampede to suspend the race and set up a panel of independent experts to review the event to determine if it can be made safer. Fricker said companies that sponsor the race should withdraw their support until this happens. VHS is also urging the Stampede rodeo to eliminate calf-roping and steer-wrestling, which it says are undeniably cruel.

The Vancouver Humane Society is a registered charity dedicated to the humane treatment of animals.