VHS’s contribution to the report concerns Canada’s supply management system and cruelty to caged hens like these ones on an Ontario battery farm.
Report is a must read
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has released some alarming findings about the impacts of Canada’s animal agriculture practices.
What’s On Your Plate? The Hidden Costs of Industrial Animal Agriculture exposes the destructive impacts of intensive livestock operations on our health, the environment, animal welfare and rural Canada.
The report also exposes the real costs of our food, including tax-funded subsidies to agriculture, and the costs borne by our health care system for public safety and food borne illnesses. Our “cheap” food isn’t so cheap after all!
VHS co-wrote a section on supply management and Canada’s egg industry (pages 101-105). Read the report here and take action to help address the issue.
News that the HBO series ‘Luck’ has been cancelled after three horses died during production, has put the spotlight on the horse racing industry just as a number of horses have been killed in high profile races.
The deaths of five horses in two days at the U.K.’s famous Cheltenham Festival has outraged animal welfare advocates, including the RSPCA. Meanwhile, it has been reported that 16 horses have died in the last 14 weeks at New York’s Aqueduct Horse Track, prompting the State’s Governor to call for an independent inquiry.
Of course, race horse deaths are nothing new. Last year, it emerged that 20 horses had died within as many months at the Hastings Park Racecourse in Vancouver.
And horses die regularly in other forms of equine entertainment, such as rodeos. More than 50 horses have died at the Calgary Stampede since 1986,. This includes two at last year’s Stampede, as reported by the Calgary Herald ‘s pathetically upbeat headline: ‘Visitor numbers up, horse deaths down as Calgary Stampede ends’(Six died the year before.)
Supporters of these spectacles should face up to the fact that animals are dying so that they may be entertained.
Eating red meat increases the risk of premature death says a major new report by the Harvard School of Public Health.
This latest study showing that red meat consumption is a health hazard will likely be welcomed by opponents of factory farming. After all, anything that potentially reduces the demand for meat should be good news for animal welfare, the environment and human health. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Like many studies showing the health risks associated with eating red meat, this one recommends switching to alternatives such as fish or poultry – options that are fraught with environmental, sustainability and animal welfare problems.
VHS launched an Eat Less Chicken project specifically to counter suggestions that chicken is a more acceptable choice than red meat. In terms of pound-for-pound animal suffering, eating poultry is among the worst options, as billions of chickens are inhumanely raised and slaughtered to provide relatively small amounts of meat. While poultry production is not as environmentally damaging as, say, intensive pig farming it still has considerable negative impacts.
If substantial numbers of people were to start replacing red meat with fish, it would likely further devastate global fish stocks, three quarters of which are already either fully or over exploited.
The simple truth is that moving toward a plant-based diet is the best way to reduce our impact on the environment, improve our health and prevent animal suffering.
Nicholas Read, a long-time VHS supporter, had a problem. Actually, two problems: Leo and Henry, his two very demanding (but adorable) ginger cats.
Both were accustomed to the outdoor life before Nick adopted them (Henry was semi-feral) and they have remained fiercely protective of their right to roam. But, as Nick lives on Vancouver’s west side he was worried about the dangers from urban wildlife.
After a lot of late-night worrying about when the “boys” would get home, Nick hit on the idea of building a pen on his deck, adjacent to his apartment window, that would allow Leo and Henry to jump out and in as they wished throughout the night. While various ready-made cat pens can be found on the Internet, Nick wanted something custom-made to ensure his cats could have safe, easy indoor/outdoor access, with an enclosure that was hard-wearing and aesthetically pleasing.
Fortunately, Nick discovered that one of his friends was a talented woodworker who enjoys challenges. Scott McLean, a college instructor, jumped at the opportunity to design and build a suitable enclosure. For Nick, it couldn’t come too soon.
“Leo and Henry have been going outside for years, so it’s impossible to keep them in all the time, he says. “But I worry about coyotes and birds. I worry about coyotes killing them, and them killing birds. So it seemed a good compromise to ask Scott to build an enclosure. This way they can still go out at night and be safe. And when I’m away and they have to be kept inside, they can still get fresh air.”
Scott describes his approach to the task: “When designing the pen I considered its function, but also how it would fit into Nick’s deck environment. I appreciated that the cats had their needs, but also was mindful of avoiding a situation where it overwhelmed his deck. In Nick’s case a slanted front was used to lessen the vertical space that was taken up by the pen, which added interest and gave it a less obstructive look, all without compromising the function for the cats. The design of Nick’s pen uses a cedar wooden frame with the metal mesh as the filler. I think the use of wood gives the enclosure a polished look and takes the industrial edge off. It also fits in well with the wooden deck, planters and a garden environment.”
Scott also took in a number of practical elements. First, the wood needed to be protected from the weather. Mitred joints were used in the construction so that the end grain of the wood was not exposed and there was less chance that the wood will soak in water and rot prematurely. The bolts and hardware are all weather resistant and caulking is used to prevent water from pooling and rotting out the wood.
Second, the enclosure had to be relatively easy to assemble and disassemble. Only two wrenches are needed to assemble the pen and it is constructed of several panels, each of which is not too heavy or awkward to move by oneself. The construction of the pen in several smaller panels also means that it can be stored without taking up too much space and can be moved to different locations without the need of a large truck.
Nick was thrilled with the result, but would the cats approve? Leo immediately jumped in to investigate and now enjoys his new outdoor rec-room. Henry took some coaxing (actually a gentle push) but has also given the enclosure the paws-up.
Scott enjoyed the project so much, he would welcome the opportunity to help others by making specially-built enclosures available to demanding cats on the Lower Mainland.
“The cat enclosures are fully custom,” he says. “Any shape or size is possible, which is a great advantage since we all have different spaces and needs. If a customer was looking to start small and then add on in the future, this desire could be incorporated into the original design. There are many choices out there in terms of metal mesh and wood. The selection of the materials would be made in consultation with the customer, but also in consideration to the environment in which the enclosure would live. Also, things like sustainably harvested wood can be used if this is important to the customer, as it was in Nick’s case.”
Cost of the enclosures is dependent on the size and the materials selected. Enclosures similar to Nick’s cost approximately $900 plus tax. Scott McLean can be contacted at scottdouglasmclean@gmail.com
Since this article was first drafted, other catio producers have come ‘out of the woodwork’ including Catioasis.
It’s common to hear North American animal lovers express their horror at cultures that find eating dogs or cats acceptable. And, indeed, it is repulsive to see these sensitive, intelligent animals abused and raised for slaughter.
But two recent stories in the news highlight a double standard in attitudes about animals killed for food – at least for those who eat meat.
Media in the United Kingdom and around the world have been raving about the accomplishments of Louie the pig, who has amazed and amused the British public by learning how to compete in dog agility competitions. Louie has demonstrated intelligence and trainability on a par with his canine friends.
Meanwhile, two Dutch pigs called Rudi and Felix, are making a claim to fame for their therapy work in seniors’ homes – a role also usually associated with service dogs. Again, media have lapped up the heartwarming story of clever and gentle pigs showing off their talent.
Of course, the intelligence of pigs has been well-established in scientific studies, and, like other animals, they can feel pain and suffer.
Yet pigs endure some of the worst treatment of animals raised for food. Hog barns house up to 5,000 pigs in crowded pens. Stress from overcrowding creates aggression and boredom, so most pigs have their tails cut off to prevent tail-biting. Breeding sows are confined for almost their entire reproductive lives in stalls that are just slightly bigger than the sows themselves. They eat, sleep, and defecate in the same space; their manure falls through slatted floors to a cesspool beneath.
So the next time you hear someone who loves bacon telling you how appalled they are about dogs being eaten in Korea, remind them of how we abuse, slaughter and eat intelligent, sensitive pigs by the million right here at home.
