A new peer-reviewed study adds to the growing body of evidence that calf-roping puts young animals through fear and stress.
The study analyzed video footage of calves confined in chutes before being released into the arena for calf-roping events in Australia.
The findings are deeply concerning: every calf observed showed at least one behaviour associated with a negative emotional state, such as fear or stress.
“Welfare concerns begin while calves are still confined in the chute”
Calf-roping, also called tie-down roping, involves a young calf being released from a chute, chased by a rider on horseback, roped around the neck, stopped abruptly, forced to the ground, and tied by the legs.
Animal welfare concerns have long focused on the risk of stress, pain, and injury during the event itself. This study shows that welfare concerns begin even earlier, while calves are still confined in the chute.
Calf-roping event at The Calgary Stampede. Jo-Anne McArthur \ We Animals Media.
Some were held in the chute for shorter periods, 28 to 51 seconds, while others were held longer, 52 to 166 seconds. They recorded visible behaviours using an assessment tool known as an ethogram.
“Red flag” behaviours included:
Showing more of the eye white
mouth opening
sticking tongue out
rearing
tail swishing
escape attempts
The study found that calves held for longer periods showed more frequent red flag behaviours. These included more mouth opening, sticking out their tongues, rearing, and escape attempts.
Inherently inhumane practices
The researchers concluded that calves experience fear and stress while confined in the chute before release, and that longer confinement was associated with increased signs of stress.
These findings matter because they challenge the idea that rodeo events can be made humane through minor rule changes or handling adjustments. Even before the event started, calves were already showing signs of stress.
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Causing stress in animals should not be entertainment
The study also notes that calves in rodeo settings may be exposed to multiple stressors, including separation from other calves, confinement, loud noises, sudden movements, close contact with handlers, and the inability to escape.
Calves are young, vulnerable animals. Their fear and stress should not be dismissed as part of a show. The findings of this study support what animal welfare advocates have been stating for years: animals should not be used as tools for entertainment.
The VHS continues to call for an end to inhumane and high-risk rodeo events and for stronger protections for animals in entertainment. You can help by using the quick action tool and sending a message to government decision-makers, taking the ‘Say No to Rodeo’ pledge and encouraging friends and family not to attend rodeo events, and sharing this post!
At the 2026 Calgary Stampede, rodeo and chuckwagon events continued to put animals at risk of fear, stress, injury and death, while also exposing human competitors and workers to serious safety risks.
The 10-day event saw two chuckwagons collide resulting in a serious injury for one of the horses, as well as harsh handling of a bucking horse in a chute leading to a cruelty complaint.
With support from the Vancouver Humane Society, Calgary Animal Rights Effort advocates distributed educational materials to Stampede attendees at four peaceful rallies.
TAKE ACTION: keep the momentum going by signing the #SayNoToRodeo pledge, using the quick-action tool below to contact government decision-makers and, if your workplace attends the Stampede, use the template letter to ask your workplace to choose cruelty-free activities for any future Stampede gatherings.
The crowds are leaving and the temporary attractions are coming down, but the concerns surrounding animals used in the events remain unresolved.
From July 3 to 12, animals were once again put at risk of stress, injury and death in fast-paced rodeo and chuckwagon events for entertainment. Calves were chased, thrown to the ground and tied. Steers were pursued and wrestled by the neck. Horses and bulls were made to buck. Teams of horses pulled wagons at high speeds around tight turns and alongside other teams.
These events depend on animals reacting to pressure, fear, discomfort and stress. The behaviours presented as entertainment to the onlookers in the crowd, including fleeing, bucking, resisting and struggling, can be signs that an animal is overwhelmed or trying to escape what is happening.
Reported incidents at the 2026 Stampede
Two high-profile incidents received media attention, including a horse suffering a serious injuryafter two chuckwagons collided at the start of a race on July 11. One horse was eventually able to walk from the track, while the other remained down and was lifted into a trailer behind a privacy tarp. The injured horse is reportedly undergoing evaluation.
Footage from a bucking event earlier in the week also raised concern and resulted in a cruelty complaint, after a handler was seen forcefully pulling on the mane of a horse who was down in the bucking chute. The handler also repeatedly smacked the horse in the head. No further enforcement action was taken by local authorities.
Some rodeo injuries may not be immediately visible. The full impact of a fall, collision or other incident may only become apparent after an animal leaves the arena, but those injuries and deaths are not publicly available
Animal welfare cannot be measured only by whether an animal survives an event. It must also consider what the animal experienced before, during and after being used in an event.
At least 110 animals have died in the Stampede’s rodeo and chuckwagon events since the VHS began tracking fatalities in 1986. That represents an average of one animal death every 3.6 days of competition. Most of the recorded deaths have occurred during the chuckwagon races.
In 2024, three chuckwagon horses suffered fatal injuries and a steer’s neck was broken during a wrestling event. In 2025, a horse named Rider was euthanized after suffering a catastrophic leg injury during a chuckwagon race.
Rodeo events also put people at risk
The risk of injury or death extends to human competitors and handlers as well. Each year, rodeo participants experience injuries of varying severity, with multiple reported deaths directly linked to rodeo activities since 1996.
Research has found that ‘rough stock’ events, such as bull riding and bronc riding, carry particularly high injury risks with contusions, sprains, and concussions being the most frequent injury types. While human competitors can choose to participate, and animal participants cannot, the risks to both are serious and should not be minimized.
Competitors and their families can experience serious physical, emotional, and financial hardship when injuries occur. Recognizing these impacts is an important step towards a future where the welfare of both people and animals is prioritized under a One Welfare framework.
A safer future should protect both people and animals by moving away from activities that include fear, force, and predictable injury risks. By working together to promote practices that reduce harm, we can help create a rodeo culture where both human and animal well-being is protected.
Recent efforts to hide the reality behind the rodeo arena
In recent years, Calgary Stampede organizers and allies have ramped up messaging about their so-called commitment to animal welfare, all while making it increasingly difficult for the public to learn the reality of what happens to animals used in rodeo.
Private businesses limit animal welfare messaging
Last year, major advertising companies rejected or pulled ads set to run in Calgary that would have pointed out the welfare concerns around rodeo. The VHS and Animal Justice raised concerns about mounting censorship and the decision by private advertisers to keep animal welfare messaging from the public.
Online advertising groups like Meta regularly reject promoted videos and photos of unaltered rodeo events displaying animal welfare messaging, claiming these images are too violent to be shared, despite permitting similar photos being used to promote Stampede events on the same platform.
Alberta government amends law to make enforcement more difficult
In May, Alberta’s Animal Protection Act was updated to better protect animals such as pets, but added a specific exemption which would allow animals to be in distress during rodeo and racing events, so long as the treatment is considered reasonable and generally accepted. This change makes it more difficult to protect animals used in these controversial sports.
Stampede organizers limit transparency
We Animals Media, an animal photojournalism organization applied for a media pass at the Calgary Stampede this year to document the rodeo and chuckwagon races. Despite following up, the Stampede never responded to their application. Media accreditation is required in order to bring professional photography equipment to the Stampede grounds, and public recording of the rodeo and chuckwagon races is not permitted.
We Animals Media shared that “If the Stampede is proud of how it treats animals, it shouldn’t be afraid of a camera.”
Live broadcast coverage of the rodeo and chuckwagon races also raises transparency concerns. The camera routinely cuts away during moments that would be difficult for viewers to watch, such as calves hitting the end of the rope, rough handling of animals in the chutes, or horses being injured during chuckwagon races. This pattern played out again this year: at least two chuckwagon races were cut from broadcast coverage, and no mention was made at the time that a horse had suffered a serious injury during one of them.
Because of the combined efforts of Stampede organizers, the Alberta government, and private businesses, the animal welfare concerns around the rodeo and chuckwagons are largely hidden from the public, who are instead provided with a carefully selected, sanitized, Stampede-approved version of events.
To combat efforts to silence animal welfare messaging, the VHS has been working with advocates in Calgary and organizations across the country to increase awareness about animal suffering at the Stampede rodeo and chuckwagon races.
Throughout the Stampede, Calgary-based advocates worked to keep animal welfare visible. With resources and support from the VHS, Calgary Animal Rights Effort advocates held peaceful Buck the Rodeo rallies on July 4, 5, 11 and 12 near the Stampede grounds.
Advocates spoke with members of the public, handed out educational materials and encouraged visitors to consider what animals experience behind the spectacle.
They also promoted cruelty-free ways to take part in Stampede season, including community events, food, music, arts and other activities that do not depend on animals being frightened or put at risk.
Animal advocates distributing Rodeo Truth leaflets
The end of the 2026 Stampede does not need to mean the end of public attention.
Decisions about funding, sponsorship, workplace outings and future programming are made throughout the year. This is when respectful and consistent public engagement can have the greatest influence.
Did your workplace attend the rodeo or chuckwagon races?
Workplace outings should be activities where employees feel comfortable, respected and able to participate.
For some employees, attending a rodeo conflicts with deeply held concerns about animal welfare. Others may be uncomfortable watching events where animals or human competitors could be seriously injured.
The VHS has created a template letter that employees can share with their employer to respectfully ask that future team activities are inclusive and do not involve rodeo or other animal events.
Starting the conversation now can help your workplace make a different choice in 2027.
It’s time for a Stampede that leaves animal suffering behind
The Calgary Stampede has evolved throughout its history. It can continue to change.
Ending the rodeo and chuckwagon races would not mean ending Calgary’s celebration. It would mean creating a celebration where community, culture and entertainment no longer come at the expense of animals.
Another Stampede has ended. The work to build something kinder continues.
During a Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby chuckwagon race on July 11, 2026, a horse suffered serious injuries when two teams collided while attempting to round the barrels.
Stampede representatives state “an initial exam revealed no fractures but the injury is considered serious”. The incident again highlights the inherent risks of the chuckwagon event.
The chuckwagon races are by far the deadliest animal event at the Calgary Stampede, accounting for 79 of 110 known animal fatalities since the VHS began tracking deaths at the Stampede rodeo and chuckwagons in 1986.
Animal deaths happen almost every year at the Stampede. In 2025, a horse named Rider suffered a fracture to his left-front cannon bone during a chuckwagon race and was euthanized.
TAKE ACTION: Use the quick action tool to call on government decision-makers to work with organizers to remove these inhumane and deadly animal events from the Stampede program.
Horse seriously injured after two chuckwagon teams collided
A horse has reportedly been seriously injured following a collision during the Calgary Stampede’s chuckwagon races on July 11.
The Calgary Herald reported that Chance Flad’s Bar L5 Ranch wagon and Wade Salmond’s De Havilland Aircraft of Canada wagon failed to finish Heat 3 after their horses collided while rounding the barrels. Witnesses said two horses went down in the crash.
Photo: Reddit user thicketcosplay
One was eventually able to walk from the track, while the other remained down and was lifted into a trailer behind a privacy tarp.
CTV News Calgary reported that the horse is considered seriously injured and is undergoing evaluation.
A horse took a fall during the Rangeland Derby at the Calgary Stampede Saturday night.
Nearly every year, there are animal deaths at the Calgary Stampede.
This incident is another reminder of the inherent risks that the chuckwagon races pose to horses due to the extremely high speed, tight turns, close proximity of wagons and horses to each other, and use of thoroughbred horses who are bred for speed rather than skeletal strength.
At least 110 animals have lost their lives at the Stampede rodeo and chuckwagons since 1986, when the VHS began keeping track. 79 of these deaths were horses used in the chuckwagon races.
In 2025, a horse named Rider was euthanized after a catastrophic leg injury during a chuckwagon race. The 2024 Stampede was the deadliest since 2019, with 4 animal fatalities during the 10-day event. 3 chuckwagon horses suffered unrecoverable injuries and a steer’s neck was broken during a wrestling event.
Injuries and deaths may also be underreported, as it can take up to 48 hours after an incident for an injury to present.
Public polling in recent years reflects growing opposition to the use of animals in rodeo.
2022
Removal of the rodeo and chuckwagon events from the Stampede program would have virtually no impact on attendance rates and would bring in new crowds.
A majority of Calgarians oppose calf roping, steer wrestling, bronc riding, and chuckwagon racing. In addition to this, 67% of Calgarians oppose government funding of rodeo events.
The 2026 Calgary Stampede is underway from July 3 to 12, bringing with it the return of controversial rodeo events and deadly chuckwagon races that continue to put animals at risk of injury and that result in near-annual animal deaths.
To date, at least 110 animals have lost their lives at the Calgary Stampede since the VHS began tracking fatalities in 1986 – an astonishing average of one animal death every 3.5 days of competition.
There are many ways to enjoy the city during Stampede season without supporting rodeo or chuckwagon events. Check out the cruelty-free Stampede events calendar and share it with friends, family, and coworkers.
TAKE ACTION: Sign the #SayNoToRodeo pledge and send a message to decision-makers to call for the removal of inhumane and deadly animal events from the annual Stampede program.
Rodeos and chuckwagon races are fast-paced, timed events that put animals’ safety at risk.
The chuckwagon races are promoted as the “half-mile of hell” and involve teams of horses attached to wagons that are pulled at high speed, making tight turns, and in close proximity to each other.
Beyond the risk of injury and death, animals used in rodeo events are also subjected to stress and suffering.
Many rodeo activities, including bucking, roping, and wrestling events, use tools and practices like spurs, flank straps, and rough handling to provoke “fight or flight” responses in the animals.
These events rely on the use of fear, stress, and discomfort to make animals flee and buck.
Nearly every year, there are animal deaths at the Calgary Stampede.
At least 110 animals have lost their lives at the Stampede since 1986, when the VHS began keeping track. Most deaths occur during the chuckwagon races due to the fast pace and close proximity of the horses and wagons.
In 2025, a horse named Rider was euthanized after a catastrophic leg injury during a chuckwagon race. The 2024 Stampede was the deadliest since 2019, with 4 animal fatalities during the 10-day event. 3 chuckwagon horses suffered irrecoverable injuries and a steer’s neck was broken during a wrestling event.
Injuries and deaths may also be underreported, as it can take up to 48 hours after an incident for an injury to present.
Public polling in recent years reflects growing opposition to the use of animals in rodeo.
2022
Removal of the rodeo and chuckwagon events from the Stampede program would have virtually no impact on attendance rates and would bring in new crowds.
A majority of Calgarians oppose calf roping, steer wrestling, bronc riding, and chuckwagon racing. In addition to this, 67% of Calgarians oppose government funding of rodeo events.
Attend alternative cruelty-free events around Calgary
There are many ways to enjoy the city during Stampede season without supporting rodeo or chuckwagon events. Check out the cruelty-free Stampede events calendar and share it with friends, family, and coworkers.
Join the “Buck the Rodeo” Rally
The Calgary Animal Rights Effort is hosting a peaceful rally to raise awareness about the animal welfare issues at the rodeo and chuckwagon races.
Saturday and Sunday, July 4 and 5th, 11th and 12th. 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. MDT Victoria Park / Stampede Station, Calgary
The rally will meet across from the Victoria/Stampede C-Train Station. Signs will be available, and you are welcome to bring your own.
The start of B.C.’s 2026 rodeo season has brought renewed animal welfare and safety concerns, with incidents documented at the Cloverdale and Clinton rodeos, where visibly stressed animals fell, resisted handlers, and were subjected to inhumane treatment, including the potential illegal use of electric prods.
These are not isolated incidents. The VHS has documented rodeos across the province over the years, filing multiple cruelty complaints and raising concerns directly with decision-makers about inhumane handling and treatment of animals.
Despite this, the B.C. government continues to fund rodeos with public moneywhile failing to close loopholes that leave animals used in rodeo without meaningful protection from suffering, injury, and death.
TAKE ACTION: Call on decision-makers to stop directing public funds to rodeo events and to strengthen protections for animals used in entertainment.
Join VHS in calling on B.C.’s Ministry of Tourism to exclude rodeos from publicly funded grant programs, and urging provincial decision-makers to strengthen protections for animals used in entertainment and end inhumane rodeo events.
Horse and rider injured at Cloverdale
B.C.’s largest rodeo, the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair, got the season off to a troubling start when a horse and rider became tangled during a saddle bronc event, and both fell and were injured. The rider was taken by ambulance to hospital; both are reported to be recovering.
While the incident drew media attention, it is far from isolated.
Animals used in rodeos continue to face serious welfare risks in B.C. Animals deserve stronger protections, and taxpayer dollars should not support events where animals are put at risk for entertainment. Take quick action for animals used in rodeos through the link in our bio.
Just one week later, footage from the Clinton Rodeo captured additional concerns: visibly stressed and agitated animals falling, fleeing, and resisting handlers, alongside inhumane and potentially illegal handling and treatment of animals.
Four incidents at Clinton were serious enough that the VHS submitted a formal cruelty complaint to the BC SPCA, including:
A horse was repeatedly whipped while a rider attempted to position the animal for a steer wrestling event, despite clear signs of agitation.
A bull was repeatedly struck with a paddle by a handler attempting to move the animal, despite signs of stress.
In two separate incidents, animals were repeatedly shocked with electric prods while confined in chutes and carrying riders.
These incidents are the latest in a long-running pattern. The VHS has documented numerous B.C. rodeos over the years and filed cruelty complaints related to inhumane handling and treatment of animals, including potentially illegal use of electric prods, animals appearing to be in distress, and animals being hit, kicked, and having their ears and tails pulled and twisted to make them flee or buck.
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Government funding continues while protections lag
At the same time, animals used in rodeos have very limited legal protection in practice. B.C.’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act prohibits causing or permitting an animal to be in distress, including situations involving pain, suffering, or injury, and requires that those responsible protect animals from circumstances likely to cause distress.
However, those protections do not apply where distress results from activities carried out in line with “reasonable and generally accepted practices of animal management.”
There are no regulations relating to rodeo and no “reasonable and generally accepted practices” defined in the Act or associated regulations relating to the treatment of animals used in rodeo. There is also no independent, third-party oversight of rodeos. Instead, the rodeo industry makes its own rules, which enforcement agencies look to in order to determine what are reasonable and generally accepted practices of animal management for the industry.
In practice, the rodeo industry is allowed to regulate itself with virtually no oversight.
Take action for animals!
Join the VHS in calling on B.C.’s Ministry of Tourism to exclude rodeos from publicly funded grant programs, and urging provincial decision-makers to strengthen protections for animals used in entertainment and end inhumane rodeo events.
Devastating blaze on Gladwin Road on Thursday afternoon (May 21) kills tens of thousands of birds
We are deeply saddened to hear of the devastating loss of 165,000 chickens in a barn fire in Abbotsford on Thursday, reportedly the deadliest barn fire in the community in more than a decade. Our thoughts are with the thousands of sentient beings who suffered and died in this tragedy.
This heartbreaking incident also highlights the inherent animal welfare and safety risks of the industrial farming system.
The average chicken farm in Canada confines approximately 36,000 birds in a single barn, making emergency evacuation during fires, floods, and other disasters virtually impossible. As a result, chickens are disproportionately affected in mass casualty incidents on farms across the country.
Beyond the dangers posed during emergencies, chickens raised in industrial systems experience routine stress and suffering while living in crowded, barren conditions that prevent them from expressing natural behaviours.
Tragedies like this are a stark reminder of the urgent need to move away from intensive factory farming systems. Each of us can help by reducing our consumption of animal products, choosing more plant-based meals, and advocating for stronger protections for farmed animals and a kinder, safer, and more sustainable food system.
We are grateful to the firefighters and emergency personnel who responded to this devastating incident, and to everyone who continues to speak up for farmed animals.
The draft plan looks at adaption strategies to build resilience into the city’s infrastructure against major climate impacts. Food should be part of that conversation.
By adding plant-based food strategies into their draft plan, New Westminster can take a practical step toward strengthening food resilience by increasing access and affordability and reducing pressure on high-impact food systems.
TAKE ACTION: If you live or operate a business in New Westminster, please take a few minutes to comment on the City’s Draft Plan, encouraging them to consider plant-based foods as part of their strategy.
New West can build climate resilience through plant-based food.
When people think about preparing a city for climate change, they often picture cooling centres, shaded streets, stronger buildings, flood planning, and emergency response. But resilience is also about everyday needs, including whether people can access affordable, nutritious food when climate impacts disrupt daily life.
New Westminster can help build climate-ready neighbourhoods by supporting increased access to affordable plant-based meals, shelf-stable plant-based proteins, locally sourced produce, and culturally appropriate food options.
Below are key sections of the draft plan where New West residents and businesses can ask the City to include plant-based food.
If you do not have time to comment on each section, you can adapt the comment below and email mayorandcouncillors@newwestcity.ca:
“Please include plant-based food in New Westminster’s climate adaptation and resilience planning.
Plant-based foods can be part of a stronger and more resilient food system. Foods such as legumes, grains, seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and plant-based proteins can be affordable, nutritious, lower-impact, and easier to store than many animal-based products.
Climate impacts can disrupt food access and increase costs, so the City should support affordable, nutritious, lower-impact options through public facilities, City-run programs, community events, emergency planning, food security initiatives, and partnerships with local businesses and community organizations.
Plant-based food policy is a practical climate solution.
Animal products use a large share of the world’s farmland and contribute more than half of food-related emissions, while providing a much smaller share of global calories and protein.
C40’s Good Food Cities work found that cities shifting public food procurement saw a 31% drop in high-emission foods, a 44% increase in plant-based foods, and a 16% drop in food-related greenhouse gas emissions from public food purchasing.
And a Vancouver Humane Society cost-benefit analysis found that replacing 20% of the City of Vancouver’s animal-based food purchasing with plant-based alternatives could save up to $99,000 and reduce emissions by more than 500 tonnes.
Plant-Based Cities Movement notes that 82% of Canadians live in cities and that most food is consumed there. That gives municipal governments a real opportunity to reduce food-related emissions through local policy.
For New Westminster, including plant-based food in their strategies offers a practical way to strengthen climate resilience while also reducing emissions, saving public funds, and helping prevent animal suffering through everyday policy choices.
Take quick action: Share this graphic
Help more New West residents learn about this opportunity.
Share this graphic on your social media before the May 31 deadline and encourage others to comment on the draft plan.
Key sections for comment:
To comment, create an account on New West’s online platform ‘Be Heard’, review the draft plan, and add your feedback directly to the sections you care about. You can leave as many comments as you’d like throughout the draft plan.
To make your submission impactful, and to ensure that it is included, do not copy and paste the text below. Use your own words so your submission reflects your personal concerns and experience.
Action 2.2.3: Public facilities can lead by example
Public facilities are more than just buildings. They are places where people gather, learn, celebrate, receive services, exercise, and build community.
As New Westminster updates public facility policies, the City could include food service and procurement in that work. This could mean making plant-based options available at City-hosted events, meetings, recreation centres, community programs, seniors’ programs, and other public spaces.
A climate-resilient public facility should not only be energy-efficient. It should also support access to affordable, nutritious, lower-impact plant-based food options in the places residents already use.
Theme 3: Neighbourhood resilience includes food access
When a heat wave, flood, storm, or supply chain disruption occurs, food access becomes a public resilience issue.
That is why plant-based food should be considered in emergency planning, food security work, community kitchens, public programs, and local food partnerships.
New Westminster can help build climate-ready neighbourhoods by working with community partners to improve access to affordable plant-based meals, shelf-stable plant-based proteins, local produce, and culturally appropriate food options.
Theme 6: Everyday City decisions can build food resilience
The draft Climate Plan says climate risk and resilience should be integrated into day-to-day decision-making and City operations.
New Westminster could make plant-based options a normal part of City operations by:
Requiring plant-based options at City-hosted events and meetings
Adding plant-based considerations to procurement guidelines
Providing staff guidance for plant-forward catering
Supporting public education about climate-resilient food choices
Ensuring City-supported food programs include affordable plant-based options
City decisions about catering, events, grants, facility rentals, community programs, concessions, procurement, and public education all shape what food options are available.
Action 6.1.8: Funding local food resilience solutions
Small grants, pilot projects, public education, and partnerships could help residents access affordable, nutritious, lower-impact plant-based foods while supporting broader climate resilience goals.
For example, the City could support plant-based cooking workshops, community kitchen programs, food security partnerships, local growers, community gardens, food forests, or pilot projects in recreation centres and community centres.
These kinds of initiatives can reduce barriers and help residents see that resilient plant-based food can be familiar, affordable, culturally relevant, and enjoyable.
New West residents: Take action by May 31!
Food is key part of climate resilience. New Westminster has an opportunity to make affordable, climate-resilient, animal-friendly options more available in the places people already gather.
If you live or operate a business in New Westminster, please take a few minutes to ask the City to include plant-based food access in the plan.
Take action: Ask decision-makers to stop using public funds to support rodeo events and to strengthen protections for animals used in entertainment.
Image credit: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals
A horse and rider are recovering after a saddle bronc incident at this past weekend’s Cloverdale Rodeo, renewing concerns about high-risk and high-stress rodeo events that put both people and animals in danger.
According to the Surrey Now-Leader, the incident took place on Saturday night during the 2026 Cloverdale Rodeo. Rider Nick Patterson and the horse Spring Season became tangled during a saddle bronc bucking event and went down together. Patterson was transported by ambulance for further evaluation and later released, while Spring Season is reportedly recovering.
The reported recovery of both Spring Season and Patterson is welcome news. Still, the incident raises broader safety and animal welfare concerns.
Rodeo poses a risk to both human participants and animals, but unlike humans, the animals did not choose to be there.
For example, in saddle bronc riding and other bucking events, animals are confined in chutes and released into an arena for an event built around provoking or maintaining a bucking response. Equipment and practices such as flank straps and spurring add pressure to the animal’s experience.
Image: bull riding/bucking event at Chilliwack rodeo
Animal welfare is about more than whether an animal survives or avoids visible injury.
It includes their physical health, emotional state, ability to express natural behaviours, freedom from fear, pain, and distress, and ability to have some control over what happens to them.
Incidents like this also point to the need for stronger public policy, including ending public funding for rodeo events and strengthening regulations to better protect animals.
That is why the VHS continues to call for an end to rodeo events that cause animal suffering, stress, injury, and death.
Communities can come together, celebrate tradition, and enjoy local events without putting animals through fear and stress for public entertainment.
Cows looking at the camera, this breed Shorthorn or Durham, typical of Argentina.
The National Farm Animal Care Council’s (NFACC) Beef Code of Practice outlines guidelines for the on-farm care and handling of cattle raised for beef in Canada.
The code is being updated for the first time since 2013 and a public comment period is open until June 12, 2026.
While there are a few improvements, the new draft code fails to address some of the most significant welfare issues within the beef cattle industry.
Join the VHS in calling for stronger requirements for shelter, daily monitoring, pain control, humane handling, transport decisions, and emergency planning.
TAKE ACTION: Share feedback on the draft code on the issues that are important to you; everyone can participate!
However, we have prepared the VHS’s top welfare priorities with section headers and tips for submitting your feedback, if you are short on time and would like guidance.
Short on time? Under the heading ‘Which section of the draft Code would you now like to provide feedback on?’, select ‘General Comments on the Code’. This will allow you to bypass providing feedback on each section of the code.
IMPORTANT: Do not copy and paste wording, as duplicate responses and/or profanity or derogatory language will not be considered by NFACC.
Section 1: Animal Environment
Section 1.2: Facilities for all cattle
Comment on Requirements:
Currently, there is no minimum shelter requirement to protect cattle from heat, cold, wind, rain, or other harsh weather.
The Code should set clear minimum shelter space requirements based on herd size, as well as maximum stocking densities (e.g. number of animals/acre) for cattle on pasture, feedlots, and auction markets.
The Code should require enrichment opportunities that allow cattle to express natural behaviours, including foraging, exercise, social behaviour, and grooming.
The Code should also prohibit tethering cattle as a form of housing. Tethering (tying an animal to an anchor point) should only be used temporarily when necessary for handling or procedures, and it should never be used as a regular housing practice.
Section 2: Feed and Water
Section 2.2: Water
Comment on Requirements
Cattle should have reliable access to clean water, including during heat waves and/or periods of high humidity, and water sources should be monitored regularly.
Snow should not be permitted as the sole winter water source. Snow may not reliably meet cattle’s needs, especially if conditions change or cattle are not checked frequently. A backup water system should always be required.
Comment on Recommended Practices
The following should be requirements:
Water sources must be easy for cattle to find and access.
The number of watering points and flow rate must be appropriate for the herd size.
Automated water systems must be checked daily to ensure they are working properly.
Section 3: Animal Health
Section 3.3.1: Disorders of the Respiratory Tract
Comment on Requirements
Recently weaned calves and newly arrived feedlot cattle should be monitored at least twice daily for two weeks to support early detection of respiratory disease.
A risk-based bovine respiratory disease prevention strategy should be a requirement as part of every herd health program, given that it is a significant health and welfare problem in the beef industry.
Section 3.3.2: Lameness
Comment on Recommended Practices
Lameness is a painful leg or hoof condition that is a common welfare issue within the beef industry. The Code should require training on causes, prevention, and treatment of lameness.
It should also require producers minimize cattle exposure to mud and standing water, and to include lameness prevention strategies in herd health programs.
Section 3.4: Safety and Emergencies
Comment on Requirements
The Code should require stronger emergency planning for fires, floods, and extreme weather.
Newly built facilities should have fire suppression and flood mitigation systems. Existing facilities should be retrofitted where possible.
Section 4: Animal Husbandry
Section 4.1: Handling and Moving Cattle
Comment on Requirements
Electric prods are used during handling and provide an electric shock to the animal. These devices cause pain, stress, and can lead to injury.
Given that electric prods can also easily be overused and that humane alternatives exist and are effective, the Code should prohibit electric prod use and require low-stress handling methods.
Section 4.3: Identification
Comment on Requirements
Branding, which is used to permanently identify cattle, should be prohibited.
Branding is painful and unnecessary, especially when alternatives such as microchipping, visual identifiers, descriptive markings, coat patterns, colour variations, and properly fitted leg bands are available.
Section 4.4: Disbudding and Dehorning
Comment on Requirements
The Code should require practices that eliminate painful horn removal (disbudding and dehorning) procedures, such as transitioning to hornless breeds of cattle.
Section 4.5: Castration
Comment on Requirements
Cattle should be castrated as young as practically possible and provided both anesthetics and pain control, in consultation with a veterinarian.
Comment on Recommended Practices
Calves must be monitored after castration to ensure they are nursing or eating and to check for signs of infection or other complications.
Section 4.5.1: Spaying
Comment on Requirements
Spaying should only be carried out by a veterinarian, and both anesthetics and pain control should be required.
Section 4.6: Weaning
Comment on Recommended Practices
Abrupt weaning of calves from their mothers should be prohibited. Low-stress, gradual weaning strategies should be required.
This includes two-stage or fence-line weaning, avoiding weaning during other major stressors such as adverse weather, commingling with animals from other groups, marketing, or transport, and avoiding painful procedures like branding, dehorning, and castration at the time of weaning.
Calves should also be acclimated to human handling and feed delivery methods they will experience after weaning.
Section 4.8: Tail Docking
Comment on Requirements
Tail docking should only be permitted when medically necessary, in consultation with a veterinarian, and with both anesthesia and pain control.
Section 5: Preparations for Transport
Section 5.1: Evaluating and Preparing Cattle for Transport
Comment on Recommended Practices
Transport is a stressful process that can pose a significant risk to the health and welfare of cattle. Therefore, the Code should require stronger protections during transport decision-making, planning, scheduling, and loading/receiving.
Farm personnel should be trained and have ready access to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) guidance and veterinarian-developed protocols for assessing an animal’s fitness for transport.
Monitoring should increase as the transport date approaches, so health or body condition concerns can be identified early.
If there is uncertainty about whether an animal is fit for transport, consulting a veterinarian should be required.
Section 5.2: Planning and Scheduling Transport
Comment on Recommended Practices
Transport should be planned to minimize the time animals spend loaded in parked vehicles and to account for forecasted weather conditions. Transport must not take place during extreme weather.
Section 5.3: Loading and Receiving Cattle
Comment on Recommended Practices
The Code should require loading practices that reduce stress and injury, including adjusting loading densities, absorbent material for the weather conditions and providing ramps when the vertical distance between the loading surface and vehicle floor causes cattle to hesitate, stop moving forward, or refuse to move.
Section 6: On-Farm Euthanasia
Section 6.1: Euthanasia Decisions
Comment on Requirements:
Delayed or inappropriate decisions around humane euthanasia can lead to prolonged animal suffering.
The Code should require training to help personnel assess quality of life, prognosis, and when euthanasia is needed. A required training module should be developed to support timely, humane decision-making.
General Comments
The Code should include a clear duty of care section, similar to other Codes of Practice, which require that all personnel responsible for cattle must be required to know the Code, be properly trained, and be competent and confident in cattle care and handling.
The Code should also require cattle to be checked dailyat a minimum. Daily observation is essential to identify illness, injury, lack of access to food or water, extreme weather impacts, calving difficulties, and other welfare concerns.
There should also be stronger requirements for consistent, practical tools for measuring welfare outcomes across the beef cattle industry.
To make your submission impactful, and to ensure that it is reviewed by NFACC, consider these tips before submitting your feedback:
REMINDER: Do not copy and paste the text below, as duplicate submissions will be ignored by NFACC. Use your own words so your submission reflects your personal concerns and experience.
Keep responses relevant to on-farm practices.
Provide references and examples whenever possible.
Reference exact wording in the draft code that you would like to see changed and how you would like it changed.
Make it personal, the committee members are interested in how this code impacts you.
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December 16, 2025 marks four years since the federal Liberal government promised to ban live horse export for slaughter, yet the commitment remains unfulfilled.
In that time, more than 10,700 horses have been shipped on long, stressful overseas flights, destined for slaughter despite widespread public opposition.
These grueling 20+ hour journeys where horses are confined in cramped crates have led to injuries, extreme exhaustion, miscarriages, and deaths.
Bill C-355, introduced in 2023 to end live horse export for slaughter, passed the House of Commons but stalled in the Senate and died with the 2025 election.
With one of the most vocal Senators who previously blocked the bill now retired, Canadians are calling on the federal government to finally keep its promise and end this inhumane industry for good.
Take action!
Online
Remind decision-makers that this issue matters to you! Use the talking points below to send a message to your Member of Parliament and the federal Minister of Agriculture.
Use the key points below to help you draft your email. Personalized emails are more impactful, so be sure to use your own words.
Why you’re writing:
Share that you’re a constituent of the Member of Parliament;
That you’re writing regarding Canada’s inhumane practice of live horse export for slaughter;
That it’s the four year anniversary of the federal government’s promise to end live horse export for slaughter;
That you’re urging the government to follow through on this promise and end the practice once and for all.
Why the issue matters to you:
Consider sharing a few of key issues below that most concern you:
Horses are loaded into crowded crates and flown on lengthy and stressful journeys overseas, destined for slaughter.
Horses can legally go 28 hours without food, water, or rest – though investigations show many journeys exceed this already inhumane time limit.
Deaths and injuries are commonplace, with investigations uncovering extreme exhaustion, miscarriages, and even deaths during and soon after the flights. For example, 21 horses died in 13 months between May 2023-June 2024.
More than 10,000 horses have been sent to their deaths since the government promised to ban live horse export for slaughter.
Polling shows a strong majority of Canadians are opposed to live horse export for slaughter.
Reiterate your request:
That you’re strongly urging them, as your elected representative and the Minister responsible for implementing a ban, to prioritize an end to live horse export for slaughter.
Ask for a reply:
Thank them for their consideration of your request and ask that they respond to you at their earliest convenience, as this issue is important to you.
