Category: Media Release

Province makes permanent changes to regulations on rodent poisons, but gaps leave animals at risk

Post author By Chantelle Archambault
Post date November 1, 2022

VANCOUVER, November 1, 2022 – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) applauds the Province of British Columbia’s move to address rodenticide poisoning of wildlife and pets, but raises concerns that gaps continue to leave animals at risk. The Province announced on Friday that it is moving ahead with regulatory changes around the sale and use of some of the deadliest rodent poisons.

In May 2022, about halfway through an 18-month B.C.-wide partial ban on second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs), the Province released an intentions paper proposing permanent restrictions.

The VHS noted that the proposed regulations, like the temporary ban, would still allow other types of rodent poisons and would permit the use of SGARs in many exempt locations, including those with frequent wildlife activity like garbage dumps. Non-target animals who eat poisoned rodents, such as owls and domestic cats, are at risk of secondary poisoning.

Following an online comment period which saw widespread support for increasing restrictions, the Province announced its decision to move forward with its initially proposed changes.

VHS Campaign Director Emily Pickett responded, “The B.C. government’s decision to significantly restrict the use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides is an important step in the right direction. However, there are concerns about gaps in the regulations that were raised by the Vancouver Humane Society and many other respondents during the online comment period.”

More than 1,300 private individuals submitted responses through the B.C. government’s online consultation form, “almost all” of whom expressed support for “a total ban on use of rodenticides in B.C.” or “restriction [on their use] to the greatest extent possible”, according a government report.

The public consultation also included a response from the VHS, which reported 2,582 resident signatures supporting a comprehensive ban on all rodenticides and a significant decrease in exemptions. Another organization, Rodenticide Free BC, reported a petition signed by 4,841 British Columbians in support of a ban on all rodenticides.

In addition to concerns about exempt locations and other dangerous poisons that will still be permitted, the VHS raised red flags that the updated regulations may amount to a complicated patchwork of rules for different locations and rodenticide products, making enforcement difficult. Evidence of suspected SGAR use in prohibited locations was routinely found during the temporary ban.

“If you walk through your community, you’ll see lots of black bait boxes around. We’ve seen reports of bait boxes being mislabeled or unlabeled, so the public has no way of really knowing what’s in them,” said Pickett. “Follow-up on reported complaints was inconsistent and slow, suggesting that there aren’t enough resources allocated to effectively enforce a partial ban.”

The VHS recommends that the government’s partial ban be a starting point in a much-needed move away from deadly and inhumane rodent poisons and toward humane alternatives and preventative approaches for dealing with human-rodent conflicts.

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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society

For more information, contact Chantelle Archambault: 604-416-2903, chantelle@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca

Tags wildlife, wildlife poisons

Media Release

Vancouver Humane Society condemns treatment of animals in new footage from Chilliwack and Langley Township rodeos

Post author By Chantelle Archambault
Post date October 5, 2022

VANCOUVER, October 5, 2022 – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) has released new footage from two B.C. rodeos held this summer and is raising concerns about the treatment of animals at the events.

What happened at this year’s Chilliwack and Langley rodeos
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 footage reveals recurring animal welfare issues, including stressed and frightened animals being roughly handed and deliberately agitated into “performing” for the public, at a controversial new rodeo that was held in Langley Township last month and from the Chilliwack rodeo in August.

The VHS points to clips that show calves, horses and bulls thrashing around in the chutes prior to being released into the rodeo arena. In two instances, horses in the chute can be seen stuck in unnatural and potentially dangerous positions, with one horse on their back and another with their leg stuck in the side of the chute.

Clips also show handlers pulling on the ears and tails of a number of animals; the VHS has long criticized these methods of deliberately agitating animals, which are frequently used in rodeo to goad the animal into bursting out of the chute at high speed or bucking wildly.

In a number of clips, animals that appear reluctant to move or leave the chute or arena are roughly handled. One clip shows a frightened sheep being shoved up onto their hind legs before falling onto their side. Another captures a sheep being dragged into the middle of the arena.

“The rodeo industry has long claimed that the animals used in rodeos love to perform. This footage, once again, proves otherwise,” VHS Campaign Director Emily Pickett notes. “If the animals love to perform, why is it necessary to twist their ears, drag them by their tails, and fasten uncomfortable straps around their sensitive underbelly to make them do so?”

Pickett also points out that these events put animals at risk of injury and death, all for the sake of public entertainment.

The VHS points to footage from the Chilliwack rodeo of a calf, who is being chased by a rider on horseback during a roping event, running into the arena fence at full speed; a bull repeatedly falling while being lassoed following a bucking event; and a horse who falls on their side during a bucking event and hits their head on the ground.

Another clip shows a bull fall and land on his horn, appearing to injure it. Afterward, the bull seems disoriented and is reluctant to move. Handlers proceed to pull and drag the bull by the tail, in an attempt to get the animal to leave the arena.

The VHS has been calling on organizers for both rodeos and local City Councils to remove inhumane rodeo events, including roping, bucking, wrestling and mutton busting, from the event programs.

“Recent polling from Research Co. shows that the majority of British Columbians are opposed to the use of animals in rodeos. Meanwhile, more and more communities have moved away from rodeos and toward events like fairs,” says Pickett.

With the upcoming local elections, the VHS is hoping that candidates for Mayor and Council will consider the many alternatives for bringing the community together without the use of rodeo events that cause unnecessary fear and suffering to animals for the sake of public entertainment.

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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society

For more information, contact Emily Pickett: 604-416-2903, emily@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca

One wolf lost life, another still missing after escape from Greater Vancouver Zoo

Post author By Chantelle Archambault
Post date August 18, 2022

VANCOUVER, August 18, 2022 – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Chia, one of the wolves who had escaped from the Greater Vancouver Zoo earlier this week, and is concerned about the well-being of the remaining wolf, Tempest, who is still missing.

This is another instance of an animal kept in captivity at the Greater Vancouver Zoo suffering, alongside several other incidents in recent years. Since 2019 alone, a child was bitten by a black bear, the public raised concerns about an emaciated moose who was then euthanized, and an employee was bitten by a jaguar. The Zoo was also the subject of a cruelty complaint submitted by the VHS earlier this year due to evidence of animals engaging in repetitive behaviours and in small, barren enclosures.

These situations reiterate the lack of adequate safety and protection of the animals at the Greater Vancouver Zoo, says VHS Campaign Director Emily Pickett.

“How many times are we going to have to see animals harmed, put at risk and suffering all for the sake of public entertainment?” Pickett asked.

The VHS has been calling on the Zoo to address the issues highlighted by these recent incidents and long-standing issues outlined in their previous reports. Zoo management did not respond to attempts to engage with them around the VHS’s and Zoocheck’s most recent report in 2019.

Since then, issues have continued to persist.

The VHS is calling on the provincial government to address the outdated regulations around wild and exotic animals in captivity. Specifically, the VHS is asking concerned citizens to get in touch with their MLAs this summer to let them know that the welfare of captive wild animals is a priority; legislative and regulatory change is needed.

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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society

For more information, contact Emily Pickett: 604-416-2903, emily@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca

Tags Animals in captivity, captivity, Zoo, Zoos

Media Release

The future of the Stampede is rodeo-free, according to polling of Calgary residents

Post author By Chantelle Archambault
Post date July 27, 2022

VANCOUVER, July 27, 2022 – Removal of the rodeo and chuckwagon events from the Calgary Stampede program would have virtually no impact on attendance rates and would bring in new crowds, according to a Research Co. poll commissioned by the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) during this year’s Stampede.

64% of Calgarians polled indicated that they had attended or were likely to attend the Stampede this year. When asked whether they would attend the Stampede if the rodeo and chuckwagon racing events were removed, 63% indicated they would be likely to attend.

“Until now, we’ve assumed that the Stampede has continued to host inhumane events out of financial motivation,” VHS Campaign Director Emily Pickett shared. “These poll results prove that removing the rodeo and chuckwagons would have little impact on visitor attendance.”

The polling results also indicated that the removal of controversial animal events would pique the interest of new crowds, with 24% of non-attendees from this year expressing interest in attending the Stampede without rodeo and chuckwagon events. Of these, the most prominent change was in the youngest group polled; 43% of non-attendees from this year aged 18-34 said they would be likely to attend the Stampede if the rodeo and chuckwagon races were removed.

“We have heard from many people who avoid the Stampede because of the rodeo and chuckwagon races. Dropping those events is a sustainable change that would attract new supporters and visitors to the Stampede,” Pickett noted.

The support for a rodeo- and chuckwagon-free Stampede draws attention to the 103 animals who have died at the Stampede since the VHS began tracking incidents in 1986, including a chuckwagon horse who was injured and consequently euthanized at this year’s event. The VHS filed cruelty complaints to the Calgary Humane Society regarding incidents captured in Sportsnet coverage of 2022 rodeo events.

“These high-risk and inhumane events draw growing public criticism year after year. It’s time for Stampede officials and Calgary City Council to remove these unnecessary events from the Stampede program.”

Pickett invited anyone wishing to learn more about the animal welfare issues surrounding rodeo to visit RodeoTruth.com, an informational website made in collaboration by the VHS and concerned Calgarians.

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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society

For more information, contact Emily Pickett: 604-416-2903, emily@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca

Take the #SayNoToRodeo pledge:

Tags animals in entertainment, Calgary stampede, rodeo

Media Release

Horse fatality prompts renewed calls for an end to Calgary Stampede chuckwagon races

Post author By Emily Pickett
Post date July 15, 2022

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 14^th 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.

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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society

For more information, contact Emily Pickett: 604-416-2903, emily@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca

Tags animals in entertainment, rodeo

Media Release

Proposed rodeo in Langley would be a step backward for animals

Post author By Chantelle Archambault
Post date April 27, 2022

A bull riding event at the Cloverdale Rodeo, 2004.

VANCOUVER, April 27, 2022 – For the first time in well over a decade, a new rodeo is being planned in the Lower Mainland – a move that the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is calling a major step backward. The Valley West Stampede Society has requested approval to host the new event in Langley from September 3^rd to 5^th, according to the Pro Rodeo Canada website.

“This rodeo would be a monumental step backward for animals and for the majority of British Columbians who believe they should be treated with compassion,” says Emily Pickett, Campaign Director for the VHS. “We believe that this event is not in the public interest of Langley residents.”

Polling from earlier this month shows that 64% of B.C. residents are opposed to the use of animals in rodeos.

The event’s committee contact is listed as Rich Kitos, the former vice president of the Cloverdale Rodeo & Exhibition Association and one of the key board members named in the human rights complaint filed against the Association in July of last year. The complaint alleges that board members including Kitos conspired to cover up discriminatory conduct, including racism, sexism, and physical abuse.

According to the VHS, many rodeo events subject animals to fear, discomfort, pain and stress for the sake of entertainment and put the animals at unnecessary risk of injury which may require euthanasia. For example, in bucking events, bulls and rodeo horses buck in response to discomfort from the rider’s use of spurs and to the tightened flank strap around their sensitive hindquarters. In roping events, such as calf roping, research shows that calves experience stress when being chased and roped.

“The very nature of many of these rodeo events is counter to best handling practices for farmed animals, which state that animals should be handled quietly and calmly in order to minimize stress,” says Pickett.

There has been a move away from particularly inhumane rodeo events in B.C. in recent years, with four events – calf roping, steer wrestling, wild cow milking and team roping – having been dropped from the Cloverdale Rodeo in 2007 following the death of a calf.

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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society

For further information: Chantelle Archambault 604-416-2903

Tags animals in entertainment, calf-roping, rodeo

Media Release

Two Metro Vancouver animal attractions under investigation for animal cruelty

Post author By Amy Morris
Post date March 10, 2022

Hana the Tiger paces the well-worn path in her enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo.

VANCOUVER, March 10, 2022 – Animal advocates have decried conditions at the Vancouver Aquarium and Greater Vancouver Zoo for years. According to the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS), the observed psychological state of several animals in both facilities necessitated a report to BC SPCA, which enforces laws regarding animal welfare for wild and exotic animals in captivity in the province. The BC SPCA notified VHS that an investigation has been opened into the two facilities.

Video footage taken in 2022 and released by the VHS reveals a hippo floating listlessly in a barren indoor pool; a lion endlessly pacing along the fence that separates him from his captive pride; African penguins, unable to escape public view, standing for long periods of time huddled around a door in their enclosure; sea otters repeatedly trying to peel back the edges of their tank; a Steller sea lion abnormally sucking on the ground.

Keeping wild animals in captivity can prevent them from expressing their natural behaviours, says VHS Campaign Director Emily Pickett. Pickett notes that when animals are unable to express their natural behaviours, they begin to engage in “stereotypic behaviours” – repetitive, purposeless movements like a tiger pacing or giraffes biting and licking a bar, both of which can be seen in the video footage released by VHS.

“Consider that a giraffe’s natural habitat ranges from the size of Stanley park to the size of Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, and Surrey combined,” says Pickett. “By comparison, the giraffe enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo is thousands of times smaller than their natural roaming distance.”

Public support for animal captivity is waning, according to a new survey carried out by Research Co. The polling data reveals that 89 percent of British Columbians oppose the international trade of exotic, wild animals to be kept on display in permanent captivity in zoos and aquariums.

The survey also revealed mixed opinion on other zoo and aquarium practices. 49 percent of British Columbians support keeping animals in permanent captivity for entertainment and education, while 44 percent are opposed; the remainder are undecided.

Advocates concerned about the plight of captive exotic animals can sign a petition calling on the B.C. government to update the Controlled Alien Species (CAS) regulation to include animal welfare considerations; prohibit the keeping, breeding and transport of all exotic species for permanent captivity; and close loopholes that currently permit CAS animals to be kept in zoos and aquariums, for film and tv, and in research and education institutions.

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Tags Animals in captivity, Aquarium, Aquariums, captivity, Zoo, Zoos

Media Release

Survey reveals 89% of British Columbians are opposed to the trade of exotic, wild animals for zoos and aquariums

Post author By Chantelle Archambault
Post date March 3, 2022

VANCOUVER, March 3, 2022 – This World Wildlife Day, animal advocates ask for wild animals to be allowed to stay wild. Public support for animal captivity is waning, according to a new survey carried out by Research Co. The polling data reveals that 89% of British Columbians oppose the international trade of exotic, wild animals to be kept on display in permanent captivity in zoos and aquariums.

The data comes along with growing awareness of the disease risks of the exotic animal trade. One in four emerging diseases is zoonotic; many of the most serious illnesses of our lifetimes have originated in animals, including COVID-19. The international trade of animals increases the risk of disease spread.

There are serious ethical issues with keeping exotic animals (wild animals not native to B.C.) in captivity, says VHS Campaign Director Emily Pickett.

“It’s virtually impossible for a zoo or aquarium to meet the needs of exotic animals in captivity. They provide a small, enclosed, unnatural environment, often with a climate that is far different from these animals’ natural habitats. Animals succumb to zoochosis.”

Zoochosis describes when animal suffering is not physical, but psychological and emotional. Denying animals the freedom to engage in natural behaviours causes at best, frustration, and at worst, extreme neurological distress.

A December incident, in which a jaguar from the Greater Vancouver Zoo climbed up a feeding chute and bit an employee, exemplifies this zoo’s inability to meet the needs of its animals.

The survey also revealed mixed opinion on other zoo and aquarium practices. 49% of British Columbians support keeping animals in permanent captivity for entertainment and education, while 44% are opposed; 8% are undecided.

As society’s understanding of how exotic, wild animals suffer in captivity has grown in recent years, there is an opportunity for zoos and aquariums to move away from keeping animals in permanent captivity. Instead, facilities can embrace interactive, educational animal-free exhibits, along with rescue, rehabilitation and release programs for injured or orphaned native wildlife.

B.C. regulates the keeping of exotic animals through the “Controlled Alien Species” (CAS) regulation, which prohibits exotic species that pose the greatest threat to public health and safety.

Advocates concerned about the plight of captive exotic animals can sign a petition calling on the B.C. government to update the CAS regulation to include animal welfare considerations; prohibit the keeping, breeding and transport of all exotic species for permanent captivity; and close loopholes that currently permit CAS animals to be kept in zoos and aquariums, for film and tv, and in research and education institutions.

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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society

For further information: Emily Pickett 604-416-2903

Media Release

Vancouver Humane Society offers veterinary assistance funds for flood-impacted pets

Post author By Amy Morris
Post date November 20, 2021

Vancouver, Nov 20, 2021 – The Vancouver Humane Society is assisting with the needs of animals and their guardians impacted by the flooding across British Columbia.

If you are an animal guardian impacted by the floods and in need of financial assistance for veterinary care for your pet, contact 604-336-1390 and leave a voicemail, email mcvitie@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca, or apply online at https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/flood-evacuee-veterinary-support/.

The organization knows that pets comes in all sizes; all species qualify. There are also no limitations related to the veterinarian or clinics used.

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

Media Release

City of Vancouver can save money and help tackle climate change through plant-based foods, says report

Post author By Chantelle Archambault
Post date November 3, 2021

VANCOUVER, Nov 3, 2021 – Vancouver City Council is considering a motion today that could help decrease spending, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve animal welfare. The motion would support recommendations from a recently released report by the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS), which highlights the impact the City of Vancouver can make by replacing 20 percent of their animal-based food purchasing with plant-based alternatives.

The report looks at the current food purchasing strategies for the City of Vancouver and outlines the annual cost and greenhouse gas emissions associated with foods typically purchased. By making a shift in their purchasing, the City of Vancouver could expect to save up to $99,000; 500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions; and the equivalent of nearly 400 farmed animal lives on an annual basis. The report outlines the impacts of three strategies that effectively replace 20 percent of animal-based foods purchased with plant-based alternatives.

“The evidence is clear that we need to shift our diets and our food system toward more humane and sustainable plant-based foods,” said VHS Campaign Director, Emily Pickett. “In Vancouver, the consumption of food makes up nearly half of the City’s ecological footprint, particularly from intensive agriculture producing meat and dairy products made from animals. There’s a lot of opportunity for positive change and we’re pleased to see this important discussion happening at the City of Vancouver level.”

The motion acknowledges that livestock farming is a significant contributor of greenhouse gas emissions; the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has advised that a plant-based diet can help in the fight against climate change. It goes on to highlight how a shift toward more sustainable and healthy plant-based foods aligns with existing City of Vancouver priorities, including the City’s Climate Emergency Action Plan and the Healthy City Strategy. The motion recommends that Council direct staff to consider the policy options outlined in VHS’s “Increasing Plant-Based Purchasing at the Municipal Level” report.

The full report can be accessed on the VHS website and the “Plant-Based Purchasing Savings for City and Climate” motion can be accessed on the City of Vancouver website.

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For further information: Emily Pickett: 604-416-2902, emily@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca