Tag: Active campaigns

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Horse racing season to begin at deadly Hastings Racecourse

  • April 27th marks the beginning of live racing season at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver.
  • Last year, eight horses lost their lives at Hastings.
  • Horses used in racing events endure stress, pain, and risk to their lives due to the high-pressure events, aversive training methods, and the use of painful tools like whips and bits.
  • Horses who no longer generate a profit are at risk of being sent to auction, where they face further trauma and can end up on a slaughterhouse floor.

Can you take the pledge to boycott inhumane horse racing events and add your name in support of protecting horses?

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2023 incidents

Take the pledge to say no to horse racing

By taking the pledge today, you will reflect your concern about recent race horse fatalities and incidents and to sign up to receive updates about the VHS’s upcoming horse racing campaign.

Learn more about the deaths of eight horses at Hastings Racecourse in 2023 here.

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UPDATE: Support major changes to protect farmed animals in B.C.

New report recommends major changes to protect farmed animals in B.C. Add your name in support!

Following growing concerns about the state of farmed animal welfare in B.C., a committee tasked with reviewing the province’s farmed animal welfare framework has presented its recommendations to the Ministry of Agriculture. Join the VHS in urging decision-makers to prioritize next steps!

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Take action to protect farmed animals

Use the template message below to call on B.C.’s Premier and the Minister of Agriculture to take specific actions that build on these recommendations and to prioritize their implementation to meaningfully protect farmed animals from egregious cruelty and suffering.  

Live outside of Canada? You can email B.C.’s Premier at premier@gov.bc.ca and the Minister of Agriculture at AF.Minister@gov.bc.ca

Agriculture Ministry listening after years of welfare issues

In B.C. alone, near-annual undercover investigations over the last decade have revealed serious and systemic welfare issues within the animal agriculture industry. 

In late 2022, B.C.’s Ministry of Agriculture launched a review of the province’s farmed animal welfare framework. This week, a Ministry advisory committee released a new farmed animal welfare recommendations report that will be considered by the Ministry as part of the review. 

The report’s recommendations include a new government-funded inspection and enforcement function within the Ministry of Agriculture, which would take over responsibility for implementation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act with respect to farmed animals. Other recommendations include providing an annual public report around enforcement activities; an expanded range of enforcement options and penalties; animal welfare and humane handling training improvements; and continued support for the inclusion of farmed animals in emergency planning.  

Learn more about the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture’s farmed animal welfare framework review and the advisory committee’s recommendations report. 

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UPDATE: Bill to end live horse export for slaughter moves to next stage 

Photo: Canadian Horse Defence Coalition

Photos: Canadian Horse Defence Coalition

Members of Parliament recently voted in support of sending Bill C-355 to the House of Commons Agriculture Committee for further review (181 yes-137 no). See how your MP voted!

This bill aims to end Canada’s highly controversial practice of shipping live horses overseas for slaughter. Your action is needed to support this bill as it moves through the legislative process. Call on the Agriculture Committee and your Member of Parliament to support Bill C-355 and end live horse export for slaughter once and for all!

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TIP: For added impact, edit the template message below to personalize your email to decision-makers. See the Learn More section for additional talking points.

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Many Canadians would be surprised to learn that Canada is one of the top exporters of live horses for slaughter. Every year, thousands of 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 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.   

In December 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau directed the Minister of Agriculture to ban the live export of horses for slaughter. Still, horses continue to be shipped to their death as a result of government inaction.   

Finally, in 2023, two new bills were introduced that aim to end the controversial practice of exporting live horses from Canada for slaughter abroad. Senate Bill S-270, the Horse Protection Act, was introduced by Senator Pierre Dalphond and singer-songwriter Jann Arden, while private member’s bill C-355 was introduced in the House of Commons by Liberal MP Tim Louis.  

Bill C-355 has since been voted on by Members of Parliament (MP) to be sent to the next stage, which involves further study by the House of Commons Agriculture Committee. Find out how your MP voted on the bill at the second reading stage. 

Can you call on the Agriculture Committee and your Member of Parliament to support Bill C-355 and end live horse export for slaughter. 

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BC pig farm accused of cruelty—again

Photo: Animal Justice

Excelsior Hog Farm is in the news again after disturbing new undercover footage, allegedly filmed at the Abbotsford farm between April and June 2023, was released by Animal Justice.  

The footage shows:

  • cruel handling practices, including pigs being kicked in the stomach and face, and struck with metal rods and plastic boards;
  • injured pigs with hernias, pressure sores, open wounds and leg injuries; and
  • filthy conditions, including dead and rotting bodies of pigs and partially eaten bodies of piglets, and floors caked in feces and what appears to be blood and feces in some water troughs. 
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Watch the video (Warning: Graphic content)

Take action

Call for meaningful action to protect farmed animals, including: 

  • Government-mandated and proactively enforced farmed animal welfare regulations;  
  • Publicly available reports of independent, third-party audits on farms and in slaughterhouses, including consistent video surveillance monitoring for real transparency; and 
  • Appropriate deterrents to prevent animal cruelty, including unannounced inspections and effective penalties for industry stakeholders who are found guilty of animal cruelty. 

Fill out the form below to send this important message to your Member of B.C.’s Legislative Assembly (MLA), B.C.’s Premier, and B.C.’s Minister of Agriculture. Feel free to personalize the message.

Live outside of Canada? You can email B.C.’s Premier at premier@gov.bc.ca and the Minister of Agriculture at AF.Minister@gov.bc.ca

Not the first time Excelsior accused of cruelty

This comes after a previous undercover investigation at the farm in 2019, which also showed concerning on-farm conditions and treatment of pigs. The footage included clips of dead and dying pigs in unsanitary conditions and cruel handling, including piglets being castrated without the use of painkillers.

Despite this evidence, the farm’s owners were never charged or held accountable. Instead, two advocates involved in a peaceful protest and sit-in that took place on the farm, have been convicted and face jail time. Both are appealing their convictions. 

Second major undercover investigation in B.C. this year

While the animal agriculture industry attempts to suggest instances like this are the exception to the rule and don’t represent the industry as a whole, the reality is that numerous investigations over the years have revealed widespread animal cruelty and welfare issues on farms and in slaughterhouses.  

In February 2023, undercover footage from a Pitt Meadows-based slaughterhouse, Meadow Valley Meats, showed animals being hit, kicked and thrown to the ground; inhumane use of an electric prod; frightened animals crowding together in the hallways and panicked attempts to escape; and improper slaughter techniques that led to significant animal suffering.

Like Excelsior Hog Farm, this was not the first incident involving the company. Media reports that the company, formerly called Pitt Meadows Meats, pled guilty in 2015 to selling E. Coli-tainted meat and after the plant manager knowingly decided not to recall it.  

The new footage, along with the many other previous undercover investigations in B.C., make it clear that there are serious, systemic issues across the animal agriculture industry. 

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New footage captures inhumane handling and stressed animals at B.C. rodeos 

  • Newly released footage from several B.C. rodeos reveals recurring animal welfare issues, including animals being hit, kicked, and having their tail and ears twisted and pulled.  
  • New polling shows growing public opposition to the use of animals in rodeo events. 65% of B.C. residents and 67% of Canadians are opposed to the practice. 
  • Use the VHS’s quick action tool to share this new footage with your city council and B.C.’s Minister of Tourism and to call for a rodeo bylaw and an end to using taxpayer dollars to fund inhumane rodeo events.  
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Take quick action

Use the VHS’s quick action tool below to share this new footage and call for: 

  1. A municipal bylaw prohibiting inhumane rodeo events in your community; 
  2. An end to BC government funding of rodeo events. 

Watch the footage

Footage from the Princeton, Chilliwack, Armstrong and Merritt rodeos reveals recurring animal welfare issues. In the videos, stressed animals are roughly handled, deliberately agitated into fleeing and bucking, and put at risk of serious injury. Clips show animals being roped around the neck; thrown and wrestled to the ground; and kicked with spurs. Animals are seen being hit and kicked; having their tail and ears twisted and pulled. Frightened animals run into fences, thrash in the chutes, and resist handlers.

What happened at B.C. rodeos in 2023?

Newly released footage from several B.C. rodeos reveals recurring animal welfare issues, including animals being hit, kicked, and having their tail and ears twisted and pulled.

How rodeo handlers agitate animals into running & bucking

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Rodeos rely on prey animals’ “fight or flight” fear responses to make them “perform”.

Signs of stress in rodeo animals

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Animals experience fear, discomfort, and pain in rodeos. Watch for these signs of stress in rodeo footage, as seen in 2023 B.C.

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TAKE ACTION: Support two new bills to ban Canada’s export of live horses for slaughter 

Speak up for horses: Support two new federal bills calling for a ban on the cruel live horse export industry!

Action: Send a message to 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

Two new bills aim to protect horses

Two new bills aim to ban the controversial practice of exporting live horses from Canada for slaughter abroad. Senate Bill S-270, the Horse Protection Act, was introduced by Senator Pierre Dalphond and singer-songwriter Jann Arden, while private member’s bill C-355 was introduced in the House of Commons by Liberal MP Tim Louis. 

These bills come more than a year and a half after the Prime Minister directed the federal Minister of Agriculture to ban the practice. Yet since then, thousands of live draft horses have been loaded onto planes, packed tightly with 3-4 horses per crate, and flown abroad where they will be slaughtered for meat. 

These two new bills present a crucial opportunity for the federal government to follow through on their promise to ban live horse export for slaughter once and for all. Use the quick action tool below to urge decision-makers to prioritize a ban before the next federal election.  

Photo: Canadian Horse Defence Coalition

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Advocacy continues after horse death at Calgary Stampede

Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media.

This year’s Calgary Stampede once again ended in tragedy with the death of a horse in Friday’s chuckwagon event. The fatal incident brings the total number of animal deaths at the Calgary Stampede to 105, including 75 chuckwagon horses, since the VHS began tracking fatalities in 1986.

In addition to Friday’s devastating incident, the VHS documented rough handling and signs of stress in animals throughout the rodeo events. Watch and share the videos below to help raise awareness of the routine suffering that animals experience during rodeo events. 

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Watch & share the videos:

The above video outlines the many animal welfare concerns that arose at this year’s Calgary Stampede, including the tragic death of a horse used in the chuckwagon races.

Much work is needed to change public sentiment on the suffering of animals in rodeos. When the above video was shared on TikTok, several rodeo supporters commented that they saw “nothing wrong” with the handling of the animals. Hours later, the video was removed from the platform for violating their policy on animal abuse. This inhumane treatment is not simply an unfortunate accident in the rodeo industry—it is considered acceptable and expected as an inherent part of the events.

Please share these videos to help others see how animals suffer in rodeos and support a wider movement away from supporting inhumane animal events.

Take the #SayNoToRodeo pledge

61% of Canadians are opposed to the use of animals in rodeo. Take the #SayNoToRodeo pledge, which will be shared with decision-makers to reflect public opposition to inhumane rodeo events.

Call for a ban on inhumane rodeo events in your community

Some communities, including the City of Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, and Port Moody, have municipal bylaws in place to prohibit inhumane rodeo events and practices. Call on your city council to follow this lead by implementing a bylaw in your community! 

This action has now ended.

4,143 people used this tool to call for municipal bylaws banning inhumane rodeo events. Thank you for taking action.

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Protect wild, exotic animals in captivity: Petition

Zebras at the Greater Vancouver Zoo seen through a fence.

Wild, exotic animals suffer in captivity

Zoos and aquariums cannot replicate the size and complexity of a wild animal’s natural habitat. Captive wildlife are also unable to engage in many natural behaviours that are crucial to their physical, social and psychological well-being. Captive exotic animals are often kept in climates that are not suitable for their species.  

According to a recent poll,89% of British Columbians oppose the international trade of exotic animals (wild animals not native to B.C.) to be kept on display in permanent captivity in zoos and aquariums.

By signing the petition, you call on the B.C. government to:

  • Expand the Controlled Alien Species regulation criteria to include animal welfare considerations and update the CAS list to include and prohibit the keeping, breeding and transporting of all exotic species for permanent captivity;
  • Adopt a positive list approach, which allows only those species that meet certain evidence-based suitability criteria to be kept, bred and transported.
  • No longer allow permits to be issued for the keeping, breeding and transporting of exotic animal species, including for zoos and aquariums, film and tv industry, and research and education institutions;
  • Relocate to more appropriate facilities, animals whose physical, psychological and/or social needs are not being adequately met in captivity and/or those who are not appropriate for B.C.’s climate.
  • If no suitable alternatives exist, allow exotic species currently kept in captivity to remain, but prohibit captive breeding of exotic species.
  • Restrict captive breeding of native wildlife, unless it is part of a reintroduction program into the wild.
  • Maintain records for all individual wild and exotic captive animals in facilities, including information related to origin, import/export, breeding, births, deaths, and transport history.
  • Require emergency management plans for all wild and/or exotic animals in captivity.

Call for changes to wild & exotic animal captivity rules in B.C.

VHS has delivered a letter outlining our recommendations and has requested a meeting with the Minister. We will keep Ministry decision-makers updated on the total number of public signatures in support of the campaign.

*The petition form will only accept Canadian postal codes. If you reside outside of Canada, you can send a message directly to the Minister at FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca

Update

VHS has been closely observing the status of animals at the Greater Vancouver Zoo and the Vancouver Aquarium. Investigation of both facilities revealed animals in small, barren enclosures and animals exhibiting abnormal behaviours. We have reported this footage to the BC SPCA and a cruelty investigation has been opened.

View the full footage reported to the BC SPCA.

Learn more about exotic, wild animal captivity and help raise awareness

Scroll through the infographics below to learn more about the issues facing captive wild animals. Click the images to save and share them on social media, or scroll down the page for key messages to share on Twitter.

Wild, exotic animals have no place in B.C. zoos. I support @vanhumane’s suggested restrictions to animal captivity.
I signed the petition to protect wild, exotic animals from suffering in captivity! Will you join me?
B.C.’s Controlled Alien Species regulation has not been updated since 2009 and is overdue for an update. Sign the petition to call for changes!

B.C.’s outdated regulations

There are loopholes in the law when it comes to keeping exotic animals. While B.C. has regulations related to the possession, transportation and breeding of exotic animals (wild animals not native to B.C.), the “Controlled Alien Species” (CAS) regulation prohibits only species that pose the greatest threat to public health and safety and does not consider animal welfare or a species’ suitability for captivity. This leaves out many exotic species, such as kangaroos and zebras, who are not subject to the CAS regulation.

The international trade of animals also increases the risk of disease spread. One in four emerging diseases is zoonotic; many of the most serious illnesses of our lifetimes have originated in animals, including COVID-19.

In B.C., zoos and aquariums, industries using animals for research, and the TV and film industry can get permits to keep dangerous exotic animals through provincial laws regulating the trade of exotic animals. These Controlled Alien Species permits lead to frequent trade of exotic animals and end up resulting in at best, boredom and repetitive behaviours, and at worst, physical suffering and early death.

The province has not significantly updated the CAS regulation since its passing in 2009 and it is overdue for an update.