Tag: animal welfare

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animal welfare compassion cruelty News/Blog Promoted rodeo

Rodeo on the run?

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Thats entertainment?

According to media reports, the “dysfunctional” Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) is in chaos, with its general manager being fired and several board directors resigning.

This follows the the CPRA’s failure to negotiate a deal to keep its championships, the Canadian Finals Rodeo, in Edmonton.  The CFR will now be held in Saskatoon, starting in 2017.  (You can urge the City of Saskatoon not to host the rodeo here.)

All this may signify a lack of public support for rodeo, which is good news for animal welfare.  VHS has exposed the suffering of rodeo animals with photos from a number of events, most recently at the Williams Lake Stampede.

The CFR’s move from Edmonton to Saskatoon means the rodeo will be in a venue with a seating capacity of 9,550 instead of one with a capacity of more than 18,000.  In short, the move likely means fewer people will see the rodeo and its growth will be limited.

Meanwhile, the Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association, which has been organizing rodeos since the 1990s, has announced that it has “ceased all operations, effective immediately”.  This follows the cancellation of two professional rodeos in British Columbia – one in Abbotsford, the other in Victoria – in the last two years, after campaigns by VHS and other animal advocates.

In addition, attendance at this year’s Calgary Stampede was the lowest in 22 years. While this was blamed on bad weather and Alberta’s economic downturn, it suggests that rodeo has a limited appeal.  There is certainly evidence that this is the case, with a December 2015 poll showing that 63 per cent of Canadians are opposed to using animals in rodeo.

As more people learn the truth about rodeo cruelty, the harder it will be for rodeo to attract new fans.  VHS intends to make sure that’s exactly what happens.

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animal welfare compassion cruelty News/Blog Promoted

Tell the Prime Minister to support better animal welfare laws

Sad dog iStock_000011589690Small

Earlier this year, Member of Parliament Nathaniel Erskine-Smith introduced Bill C-246, the Modernizing Animal Protections Act, a private member’s bill aimed at updating Canada’s federal animal cruelty legislation. The bill proposes to amend the Criminal Code to consolidate and modernize various offences against animals.

Canada’s animal cruelty laws have not been significantly updated since 1892. It’s time to modernize these archaic laws and more effectively protect animals from abuse and neglect. If you haven’t already done so, please contact your Member of Parliament to encourage them to support this bill. You can find your MP’s email address here. You can copy the text from the sample letter below into the body of the email if you wish.

You can also email the Prime Minister a message. (Click READ THE PETITION to see the message):

[emailpetition id=”10″]

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animal welfare cruelty News/Blog Promoted rodeo

CBC used false information to defend Calgary Stampede

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Calf-roping at the Calgary Stampede. Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur

 

The CBC has been using false information in its responses to concerns about animal welfare at the Calgary Stampede and the CBC’s coverage of the Stampede’s rodeo and chuckwagon races.

In emails to members of the public, the CBC falsely stated that the Alberta SPCA works with the Calgary Stampede and is on-site monitoring events.  The Alberta SPCA has denied that this is the case.

People who have emailed the CBC to complain about its Stampede rodeo broadcasts have been receiving an email response from CBC which states that:

“…Stampede organizers are committed to providing the highest standard of animal care and safeguarding animal welfare. To that end, the organization works with the Calgary Humane Society and the Alberta SPCA. Both groups are on-site monitoring events, and all competing animals are under constant veterinary care and attention throughout the Stampede.”

But when one complainant checked with the Alberta SPCA to see if this was true, she received a reply from the society’s communications manager stating:

“Thank you for contacting me about this email. I will be contacting the CBC to correct its public messages, because the Alberta SPCA doesn’t “work with” the Stampede, and we don’t send officers to monitor Stampede events…”

The complainant’s email from the CBC can be seen here and the email from the Alberta SPCA here.

 

Yesterday, the Alberta SPCA tweeted a statement confirming that it does not work with the Stampede or monitor rodeo events:

Capture albera spca

The CBC has tweeted an apology saying “it wasn’t our place to speak for the Alberta SPCA or Calgary Stampede.” But the tweet did not address why the CBC was distributing misinformation about the Alberta SPCA’s animal welfare role at the Stampede.

It is not known how many complainants received CBC emails containing the false information.

VHS has an online petition calling on the CBC to stop broadcasting rodeo cruelty at the Stampede.  Also see our related article in the Huffington Post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
animal welfare compassion Food and Drink News/Blog Promoted

Working together for animals

Photo 7 PF Someone not something

VHS would like to thank all the organizations listed below who signed on to the group letter that we sent to A&W asking them to go cage-free. Not only did A&W listen, but they plan to be cage-free within two years, ahead of most other companies. Nicely done, everyone!

 

Animal Justice Canada

“Commercial animal agriculture is essentially an unregulated industry. The absence of government oversight has created a race to the bottom, with animals paying the ultimate price of physical and psychological torment. Companies and consumers have the power to demand better for animals through their purchases and food choices.” Anna Pippus, Director of Farmed Animal Advocacy

 

 

Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals

“We applaud companies like A&W that are showing genuine leadership in animal welfare, not simply by committing to buying cage-free eggs, but also by doing so in a reasonable timeline of two years — millions more hens will live better lives because of it.”  Edana Brown, Director

 

Humane Society International/Canada

“HSI/Canada welcomes another of Canada’s largest restaurants joining the growing list of companies demanding a cage-free future for hens. A&W’s commitment to improve the welfare of hens in its supply chain by moving to 100 percent cage-free eggs sends a clear message to the egg industry that confining chickens in cages simply has no place in our nation’s agricultural future.”  Sayara Thurston, Campaign Manager

 

Mercy for Animals

“We praise A&W for swiftly addressing this important issue on the minds of conscious consumers across Canada. The company’s new cage-free egg policy is a crucial step that will reduce the suffering of countless hens.”  Krista Hiddema, Managing Director

 

Vancouver Humane Society

“A&W thought they were doing the right thing by sourcing eggs from ‘enriched’ cages. Kudos to them for hearing us when we told them that enriched cages severely restrict  key behaviours like running, full wing-flapping and flying and do not permit unrestrained perching and dustbathing. A cage is a cage.” Debra Probert, Executive Director

 

Canadians for the Ethical Treatment of Farmed Animals

(no comment available)

 

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News/Blog

Poll: Most Canadians oppose rodeo

So why does CBC keep broadcasting it?

The VHS has long criticized CBC Sports for broadcasting the Calgary Stampede rodeo.  The CBC has refused to end its coverage despite the clear evidence that animals suffer in rodeos.  They’ve stated that the Stampede is “a longstanding Canadian tradition and is popular with millions of Canadians across this country.”

Yet public polling over the years shows that a majority of Canadians are opposed to the use of animals in rodeos.

Public polling shows that a majority of Canadians are opposed to the use of animals in rodeo. Another poll that the VHS commissioned indicates that 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.

Calf roping event at The Calgary Stampede. Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media.

During the 2015 Calgary Stampede, the VHS launched a petition calling on CBC to end its broadcast of the Stampede rodeo.  This petition was supported by 24,119 animal allies.

The VHS continues to call for an end to inhumane rodeo events and the deadly chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede.

Let CBC Sports know that you are among millions of Canadians opposed to rodeo – and you are in the majority. Tell them to stop putting cruelty on our television screens and calling it a sport.

Please support the Vancouver Humane Society’s continuing campaign against rodeo cruelty. Thanks to supporters, the VHS has been able to successfully advocate for a ban on rodeo in the City of Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, and Port Moody. The VHS and other organizations and advocates has also won victories against the Cloverdale Rodeo in Surrey and the Luxton Rodeo on Vancouver Island. Your donation will help the VHS continue this crucial work.

Donate to help end rodeo cruelty
More about rodeo & current rodeo actions
All animal advocacy actions
2022 Calgary Stampede poll
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animal welfare News/Blog Promoted Uncategorized zoo

‘Vancouver Aquarium Uncovered’ Documentary

Local filmmaker Gary Charbonneau delivers a controversial documentary on the Vancouver Aquarium’s rescue and captivity program. There will be a screening of the film, “Vancouver Aquarium Uncovered” on Sunday, Sept.13th, 7:30pm at the Vancouver Public library.

VHS opposes the keeping of wild animals for public display, as it deprives them of the ability to freely engage in instinctual behaviours in their natural environment. Even when bred in captivity, exotic animals retain the behavioural and biological needs that they would have in the wild. They cannot be considered domesticated and they can suffer if they are confined in unnatural environments. Here’s our Q&A with Gary:

VHS: Was there a defining moment or a catalyst that inspired you to get involved in the issue of cetaceans in captivity?

Gary: While attending a public hearing on cetacean captivity I became suspicious and concerned with the remarks and comments being made by the Vancouver Aquarium and their associates.

VHS: What do you want to be the biggest take away for those who see the film?

Gary: A better understanding of conservation, rescue and rehabilitation and a demand for greater transparency. A conservation centre such as the Vancouver Aquarium cannot have a higher infant death rate than in the wild nor should they have a breeding program that, in my opinion, has not aided wild cetaceans in their 50 year existence. This is completely contrary to conservation itself. As a city we need to define what this term stands for and further our understanding of the programs at the aquarium.

VHS: What has the response been like to the film, following its first screening?

Gary: Incredible. People learned a great deal on this issue. Their eyes were opened to the complicit association, fund allocation, misinformation and most importantly the true facts of the rescue and breeding programs. As one person said to me “Is this what I’ve been supporting all these years?”

VHS: What do you think has spurred the change in public sentiment over the captivity of whales and dolphins?

Gary: The film Blackfish really exposed the lengths aquariums go to in deceiving the public for profit. In my research I’ve also realized the connections that go far beyond the inner circle of North American aquariums. I have professors, researchers and biologists still contacting me today providing facts, data and personal experience on this lucrative captive business. Even more disheartening is most have asked me not to mention their names because they fear the power this industry has. I’ve also noticed this with news media as well. I’ll ask everyone right now, has anyone heard anything of this film on TV, radio or newspaper? The answer is no because they won’t touch this. Thus far all have turned down mentioning my film. One reporter told me I’m going to have a hard time because they’re interconnected to the aquarium whether through business or advertising. It’s quite sad actually because it’s the whales and dolphins who are suffering.

VHS: What do you suggest the public can do to help with this issue?

Gary: The public doesn’t realize they are the answer. Around the world these aquatic circuses are not only ending, they’re being banned. This is due to public pressure. Vancouverites need to have their voices heard and force the aquarium to update its model.

VHS: There’s been talk recently that Vancouver might be the ideal site for the world’s first sea sanctuary – a place for captive cetaceans to go if released from marine parks but unable to survive in the wild. What are your thoughts on that idea?

Gary: Sea sanctuaries are the future for rehabilitation and release. They will also provide increased space, depth and a more natural environment for those cetaceans who cannot survive in the wild. There are people who oppose the idea of sea pens or ocean sanctuaries but let’s not forget, there was a time when there were no elephant, primate or big cat sanctuaries and look at their success today. Furthermore, all of these were also thought to be impossible, with strong opposition.

VHS: In your research for the film, what did you find most disturbing about the captivity issue? What did you find most inspiring?

Gary: The infant death rate! Absolutely unbelievable, this literally stunned me and everyone who’s seen the film. It is completely unconscionable for the Vancouver Aquarium to call itself a conservation centre when its infant death rate is astronomically higher than in the wild, this makes no sense.

The most inspiring is the proof that aquariums who have moved away from captivity are doing better financially, provide higher levels of education through technology and interactivity and have demonstrated true conservation efforts. Aquariums such as Monterey Bay in California, Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto, Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre in B.C. are a few examples.

VHS: What was the most challenging part of making the documentary?

Gary: Containing my emotions. During the repetitive process of editing you are continually reminded of the deaths, short lifespans and the psychological stress on these poor creatures. It is exceptionally difficult to stay focused.

VHS: Did you have a strong opinion on the issue of captivity prior to doing research for this film? Has making the film changed your opinion on other animal protection issues?

Gary: I’m not a proponent of animals performing tricks even for rescue or rehabilitation because duplicitous organizations will use conservation as a guise for exploitation. However, I was open to learn whether the Vancouver Aquarium was genuinely learning about and aiding whales and dolphins.

Completing this film has unquestionably affirmed that genuine rescue and rehabilitation shouldn’t require animals to perform. Any institution or non-profit organization who states it’s necessary to sell tickets in order to protect or preserve a species is either mismanaged or deceitful.

VHS: How can people see the documentary? 

Gary: A screening is being held on Sept 13th at the Vancouver Public Library. Sometime after this date the film will be released online at www.vancouveraquariumuncovered.com. I feel it’s important to note, this is a non-profit film and will be released for free. I want everyone to learn the truth and help the aquarium improve and move into a superior direction.

VHS: What specific actions would you like to see the Vancouver Aquarium take moving forward, in regards to whales and dolphins in captivity?

Gary: The goal of my film is to enhance the Vancouver Aquarium and make it the most advanced and educational marine centre in the world. The aquarium is about to spend millions of dollars expanding their tanks when that money should be used towards technology, innovation and expanding their much needed Marine Mammal Rescue Centre.

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For more info:

www.vancouveraquariumuncovered.com

www.facebook.com/VancouverAquariumUncovered

Categories
animal welfare compassion Cruelty-free News/Blog Promoted

Nice Shoes: a pioneer in cruelty-free, compassionate shopping

Joanne Chang and Glenn Gaetz of Nice Shoes
Joanne Chang and Glenn Gaetz of Nice Shoes

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Nice Shoes, Vancouver’s only vegan shoe store, was opened in 2011 by animal advocates Glenn Gaetz and Joanne Chang. The store carries 100% vegan shoes as well as purses, bags, belts, wallets and other cruelty-free products.

VHS supports the growth of cruelty-free businesses and we were interested to find out more about how Nice Shoes is faring in Vancouver’s competitive retail market. Here’s our Q&A with Glenn and Joanne.

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VHS: Can you say a bit about what motivated you to open Nice Shoes?

G&J: As shoppers, we were motivated by the anxiety and frustration we felt every time we walked into a shoe store knowing that the salesperson couldn’t answer our questions about materials – or even cared to try. As activists, we were motivated by our desire to normalize the vegan lifestyle.

VHS: How difficult was it to start a business that was the first of its kind in Vancouver?

G&J: Starting a business was the easy part! Vancouver has a vibrant vegan and animal rights community and everyone is excited when a new vegan business opens. The challenge comes in maintaining a profitable business and growing our customer base.

VHS: How is the business going now and how do you feel about the future of Nice Shoes?

G&J: We think there’s a bright future for Nice Shoes as veganism seem to be going through a growth spurt. We know this because a large portion of our customers are new vegans who have only made the transition within the last couple of years.

VHS: Who are your customers? Is there a predominant demographic?

G&J: Our main customers are vegans and vegetarians, but that in itself encompasses a huge range of people. We see vegans of all ages and professions. We also get quite a few non-veg customers who simply like the styles we carry.

VHS: Some vegan shoes are not cheap. Is affordability an issue?

G&J: Since our main goal is to normalize veganism, we are very thoughtful in selecting brands that are familiar and affordable to most people. We do carry some exclusive vegan brands (which tend to be pricier), but they are a small percentage of what we carry. Most of the shoes in our current spring/summer collection range from $30-$150. We also have great sales throughout the year and a student discount program.

VHS: Do you think the market is growing for cruelty-free products?

G&J: Absolutely! We find that “vegan leather” is now a popular term used proudly by mainstream brands to sell products. And a lot of these brands are rolling out vegan product lines and marketing them as such.

VHS: What do you think needs to happen to encourage consumers to make more ethical choices?

G&J: Consumers want nice looking things that are decent quality at a reasonable price. If the products can match what they are looking for, they will switch without even trying. We have a few loyal non-veg customers who might not even know that our products are vegan. By offering alternatives that look great and are equal to, if not better than, their animal product counterparts, we are lowering the barrier of entry to a vegan lifestyle. All things being equal, who wouldn’t choose the cruelty-free option?

VHS: How do you stay positive in a world where animal-based products are still so predominant?

G&J: We’ve been vegan for 18 & 20 years. In that time we’ve seen a lot of change. Twenty years ago, vegan shoes were horrible plastic things that looked atrocious and felt like cardboard. When we look at the selection and the quality of products available nowadays, we can’t help but smile. Animal products may still be predominant, but the alternatives are gaining ground every day.

VHS: What’s your most popular product?

G&J: Since the weather is getting nicer, women’s sandals are flying off the shelves. And hiking shoes are in high demand as people are starting to hit the trails.

VHS: What do you find most rewarding or satisfying about running Nice Shoes?

G&J: Nothing makes us happier than getting a positive feedback from our customers – it really makes all the hard work worth while. And of course, all the adorable dogs who visit us in the store.

Nice Shoes is located at 3568 Fraser Street (between E 19th & 20th) in Vancouver.
Tel: 604-558-3000
info@niceshoes.ca

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News/Blog Uncategorized

Guest post: The Humanist view of animal rights

By Ian Bushfield, executive director of the B.C. Humanist Association

Religions have traditionally approached the topic of animal rights in one of two ways. The more conservative religions state that God gave dominion to us over all ‘lesser’ species to do with as we please. Alternatively, some say we were charged with stewardship over God’s creation, so we should reduce the harm that comes to God’s creatures.

Yet today, more than one-in-three British Columbians are non-religious. Of this non-religious community, many atheists and agnostics put forward an ethical system called Humanism. Humanism is about being good without God by basing our worldview on reason, compassion, and hope. It gives us the ability to create our own values and ethics, while forcing us to be skeptical of all claims – including our own.

Humanists see evolution by natural selection as the best theory we have to explain the diversity of life on earth. This theory tells us that given enough time, simple self-replicating molecules adapted and reproduced, eventually giving rise to all of the plants, animals, and people alive today. We therefore recognize that we are not superior to other animals and that we are a part of nature itself. We respect the rights of animals because it is a mere extension of the rights that we grant to other human beings.

Furthermore, as we learn more about the different species of life on earth, we are beginning to recognize that animals feel pain, fear, and suffering to different extents. The more an animal is like us, the more we identify with its suffering and seek to alleviate that.

All Humanists oppose torture and cruelty to animals. However, Humanism is a worldview without dogma, so our beliefs form a wide spectrum when applied to the real world. For example, some strongly oppose the existence of zoos and aquariums, believing that the animals would be better off in the wild. Others argue that the scientific and conservation benefits of these institutions outweigh those arguments. Many Humanists support animal research, provided it is done in a humane and ethical way, while others oppose it.

Where many religions have taboos on what foods may or may not be eaten (sometimes depending on the day of the week), Humanists use our own reasoning to decide what we each feel is ethical to consume. Some Humanists strongly oppose the eating of meat, as there are many alternatives to provide our required nutrients and there are many deplorable aspects of modern factory farming; however, many Humanists are not vegetarians, but try to choose more ethical and sustainable food sources whenever possible. Few Humanists support the ritualistic slaughter practices of some religions which involve letting an animal bleed to death.

Humanism is a dynamic and progressive philosophy. What is considered moral and acceptable today will be put under a critical eye and may be rejected as barbaric in the future. By rejecting the authority of dogmatic tradition, we can focus on creating a better future for all life on earth.

Note: VHS is interested in all ethical points of view relating to animal rights and welfare.  We plan to publish more articles from different philosophical and religious standpoints in future blog posts.