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Have your say: Equine welfare survey

Update

The comment period for the “Equine Code of Practice” has now ended. Thank you for helping to ensure animals’ well-being is considered in this consultation.

  • The National Farm Animal Care Council’s (NFACC) Equine Code of Practice serves as a guideline for the on-farm care and handling of horses raised in Canada, including horses used for rodeos, racing, and slaughter. 
  • The code of practice is up for review for the first time since 2013 and NFACC is seeking public input on what issues to consider when reviewing and updating the code.
  • The current code allows for aversive handling practices that cause stress and fear to horses.
  • Note that the code does not include transport, such as the live export of horses for slaughter; it only includes on-farm practices and deciding if individual horses are fit for transport.

Your input needed to identify top welfare issues

Can you take a moment to fill out the short survey and share your top 3 concerns you think NFACC should consider? The deadline to complete the survey is May 16, 2024.

  • Scroll down to read a few of the top welfare issues you may want to consider.
  • Share your top 3 priorities in the survey.
  • Please use your own words (do not copy and paste the wording below) and be respectful and constructive.
  • Feedback that includes duplicate responses and/or profanity or derogatory language will not be considered by NFACC. 

Photo: Canadian Horse Defence Coalition

Top welfare priorities

Aversive handling & training 

Prohibit aversive handling, training methods and tools that involve the use of fear, pain or stress to make horses perform an activity or behaviour. 

Many modern training practices are still largely based on historical methods that rely heavily on punishment. While horses may appear “calm”, they are often experiencing learned helplessness. This condition occurs when the horse experiences a painful or negative situation repeatedly and is unable to escape or change the outcome. This results in a negative mental state for the horse. 

Environment & enrichment 

Improve requirements to ensure access to appropriate space, shelter, and dry, clean pen conditions. 

This is important in preventing lameness and other health issues.

Improve requirements to ensure opportunities to forage, turnout/free pasture time, and socialize.

This is crucial for reducing stress and stereotypic behaviour.

Health & lameness

Require that pin firing (thermocautery) not be performed.

Pin firing is a painful procedure that involves burning or freezing the skin and tissue of the affected leg. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) opposes the practice as it “is ineffective and is inconsistent with evidence-based medicine”.

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Have your say: Cattle welfare survey

Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media

Photos: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media

Update

The comment period for the “Beef Cattle Code of Practice” has now ended. Thank you for helping to ensure animals’ well-being is considered in this consultation.

  • The National Farm Animal Care Council’s (NFACC) Beef Cattle Code of Practice serves as a guideline for the care and handling of cows raised in Canada’s beef industry. 
  • The code of practice is up for review for the first time since 2013 and NFACC is seeking public input on what issues to consider when reviewing and updating the code.
  • The current code allows for many inhumane practices that compromise the welfare of cattle in the beef industry.  

Your input needed to identify top welfare issues

Can you take a moment to fill out the short survey and share your top 3 concerns you think NFACC should consider? The deadline to complete the survey is May 3, 2024.

  • Scroll down to read a few of the top welfare issues you may want to consider.
  • Share your top 3 priorities in the survey.
  • Please use your own words (do not copy and paste the wording below) and be respectful and constructive.
  • Feedback that includes duplicate responses and/or profanity or derogatory language will not be considered by NFACC. 

Top welfare priorities

Fear and stress

Chronic fear and stress throughout an animal’s life, as a result of harsh handling, on-farm procedures, separation of the cow and calf, etc., is a serious animal welfare and health concern. Stronger requirements around staff training and oversight (e.g. video monitoring, third party audits) are needed.

Painful procedures

Require pain medications for all painful procedures, regardless of the animal’s age.

Enrichment

Require enrichment opportunities that allow cattle to express natural behaviours, including foraging, exercise, social behaviour, and grooming. 

Weaning

Require a more gradual, natural weaning process for cows and calves to reduce stress.

Barren environments

Feedlots often lack appropriate space, grazing access, and shelter. Poor feedlot conditions are a serious health and welfare concern and can lead to lameness and disease.

Nutrition

Abrupt changes from a pasture diet to an unnatural high grain-based diet can cause serious digestive and nutritional issues.

Take the survey

Your voice makes a difference.

When the Dairy Cattle Code of Practice was updated, it received a record-setting 5,800+ comments! The strong public response during the public consultation prompted stronger restrictions around abusive handling, changes to housing models, and a ban on branding.

Now, cattle in the beef industry need your help too. Thank you for speaking up for farmed animals!

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FINAL House of Commons vote to ban live horse exports for slaughter

Photo: Canadian Horse Defence Coalition

Photos: Canadian Horse Defence Coalition

  • Each month, gentle draft horses are packed into crowded crates and shipped on cargo planes from Canadian airports to be slaughtered for meat.
  • Horses can legally go up to 28 hours without food, water, or rest.
  • Flights have resulted in injuries and death.
  • Bill C-355, which aims to ban the export of horses for slaughter, recently passed the Agriculture Committee and will move to its final vote in the House of Commons before going to the Senate.

Take action to ban the live horse export industry

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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Horses are suffering in Canada’s cruel live horse export industry, and Canadians are demanding change.

In 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau directed the Minister of Agriculture to ban the live export of horses for slaughter. Finally, in 2023, two bills were introduced to end the inhumane practice.

One of those bills, Bill C-355, has now passed the Agriculture Committee and will move onto its third and final reading and vote at the House of Commons.

Although only 22% of Canadians agree with the live export of horses, 43% of MPs voted NO to banning the practice at the bill’s previous reading. It is vital that we ensure decision-makers know that the well-being of horses is a priority for Canadians.

See how your MP voted previously and use the quick action on this page to ask your MP to vote YES to Bill C-355!

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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. 
Take action
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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UPDATE: ‘Ag-gag’ bill reaches review stage. Take Action!

A mother dairy cow and calf on a farm sanctuary

Update

This action has now ended. Thank you to the 4,020 advocates who used the quick action to speak out against anti-transparency ag-gag bills. Please see the Current Campaigns page for more ways you can help protect farmed animals.

  • Bill C-275 has been sent to the House of Commons agriculture committee for further review this fall.
  • This federal ‘ag-gag’ bill would criminalize whistleblowers and undercover investigators who expose animal cruelty or welfare issues on farms.
  • Tell decision-makers to vote NO to C-275.

An ‘ag-gag’ bill that targets animal advocates and whistleblowers will soon go to a vote. Tell your Member of Parliament to say NO to Bill C-275.

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Quick action: Tell decision-makers to vote NO to C-275.

This action has now ended.

4,020 people used the quick action tool to oppose Bill C-275. Thank you for taking action.

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Why say no to Bill C-275?

While decision-makers claim Bill C-275 aims to protect on-farm biosecurity by deterring trespassers, trespassing laws already exist and the government’s own data indicates that previous disease outbreaks have been caused by poor on-farm practices from owners/operators. The standard industry practice of keeping large numbers of genetically similar animals in close confinement creates a prime environment for disease outbreak.

Similar ‘ag-gag’ bills have been implemented in other jurisdictions to further limit transparency of the animal agriculture industry and prevent undercover exposes that shed a negative light on this hidden industry.

Instead of targeting whistleblowers who expose the conditions and treatment of animals on farms, the government should be addressing the conditions and treatment directly. Following a disturbing recent undercover expose of a B.C.-based slaughterhouse, the VHS is reiterating the urgent need for more transparency and accountability within the animal agriculture sector, not less.

Join this call to action by urging federal decision-makers, including your Member of Parliament, the House of Commons Agriculture Committee, and the federal Minister of Agriculture, to say NO to Bill C-275.

Ask your MP to say NO to Bill C-275
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New footage reveals animal suffering at Chilliwack Rodeo 

A calf rests in the grass.
  • The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is again raising concerns of animal suffering at the annual Chilliwack Rodeo.
  • Footage from this year’s Chilliwack Rodeo shows animals being subjected to fear, discomfort and stress for sake of public entertainment.
  • This new footage, along with similar concerning footage from last year’s Chilliwack rodeo, reinforces that animal suffering is inherent to many rodeo events, including roping, bucking, wrestling and mutton busting (kids riding sheep).
  • The VHS is asking residents and tourists to call on Chilliwack City Council to pass a bylaw to prohibit inhumane rodeo events.
Watch the video
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Animals suffer at Chilliwack rodeo

Footage from the recent Chilliwack rodeo shows stressed and agitated animals being roughly handled, thrashing around in the chutes, and being put at risk of injury and death. Obvious signs of stress are seen throughout the footage, including excessive salivation, defecation and resisting handlers.

The VHS also documented similar animal welfare issues during last year’s Chilliwack rodeo, reinforcing the reality that many rodeo events rely on the use of fear, discomfort and stress through rough handling and the use of aversive tools (e.g. flank straps and spurs) to make animals flee and buck in response.

Watch the footage:

Animal welfare issues at the 2023 Chilliwack Rodeo

Footage from the recent Chilliwack rodeo shows stressed and agitated animals being roughly handled, thrashing around in the chutes, and being put at risk of injury and death. Obvious signs of stress are seen throughout the footage, including excessive salivation, defecation and resisting handlers.

Calling for removal of inhumane rodeo events

The VHS continues to urge Chilliwack Fair organizers and local decision-makers to remove inhumane rodeo events, including roping, wrestling, bucking and mutton busting from the fair’s program.

Take the steps below to support this call to action in Chilliwack and beyond.

1) Send a message to Chilliwack City Council

Send an email or follow-up email to Chilliwack City Council, calling for an end to inhumane rodeo events at the Chilliwack Fair. Respectfully share your concerns as a tourist or resident about the treatment of animals and the footage from this year’s rodeo.

Email Chilliwack City Council

In your own words, consider highlighting the following key points: 

  • There are ongoing issues with the treatment of animals at the Chilliwack Rodeo. Footage from this year’s rodeo again shows animals being roughly handled during events, agitated in the chutes beforehand, and ultimately being put at unnecessary risk of injury and death for the purpose of public entertainment.
  • Signs of fear and stress are evident, including excessive drooling, defecation and resisting handlers.
  • I am urging Chilliwack city council to take action to end inhumane rodeo events in Chilliwack. There are many other activities at the fair that can be enjoyed without putting animals at risk. Please work with fair organizers to remove inhumane rodeo events from the fair’s program and follow the lead of other municipalities by enacting a bylaw to prohibit such events in the community.

2) Call for a bylaw prohibiting inhumane rodeo events in your community

Use the VHS’s quick action tool to call for a bylaw prohibiting inhumane rodeo events in your community.  

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Call for an end to inhumane events at Chilliwack Rodeo 

This weekend’s Chilliwack Fair will feature controversial rodeo events including roping, wrestling, bucking and mutton busting (children riding sheep). 

Last year, the VHS documented numerous animal welfare issues during the Chilliwack Rodeo, including animals being roughly handled; stressed animals thrashing in the chutes in attempts to escape; and animals being put at risk of injury for the sake of public entertainment.  

Take action
Watch the video

Two actions to help animals used in cruel rodeo events

1) Send a message to Chilliwack City Council

Email Chilliwack decision-makers calling for an end to inhumane rodeo events at the Chilliwack Fair. Respectfully share your concerns as a tourist or Chilliwack resident about the treatment of animals in rodeo events and that you’d like to see the Fair continue without the rodeo.

Email Chilliwack City Council

In your own words, consider highlighting the following key points: 

  • Public polling shows a majority of British Columbians oppose the use of animals in rodeo. 
  • The handling and treatment of animals during rodeo events puts them at unnecessary risk of injury and death.  
  • Signs of stress and fear are clearly visible in photos and videos of animals during rodeo events. 
  • There are no shortage of other events and activities that can bring the community together at the Chilliwack Fair without putting animals in harm’s way.
  • It’s time for the Chilliwack Fair to drop inhumane rodeo events including roping, wrestling, bucking and mutton busting. 

2) Call for a bylaw prohibiting inhumane rodeo events in your community

Use the VHS’s quick action tool to call for a bylaw prohibiting inhumane rodeo events in your community.  

What happened at last year’s Chilliwack Rodeo?

What happened at Chilliwack Rodeo 2022?

Last year, the Vancouver Humane Society documented numerous animal welfare issues during the Chilliwack Rodeo, including animals being roughly handled; stressed animals thrashing in the chutes in attempts to escape; and animals being put at risk of injury for the sake of public entertainment.

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#SayNoToRodeo at the Calgary Stampede

Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur \ We Animals Media.

Update

The Vancouver Humane Society continues to advocate for an end to inhumane and dangerous animal events at the Calgary Stampede after another horse died in the 2023 chuckwagon races. Read the update.

The controversial rodeo and deadly chuckwagon races are returning for this year’s Calgary Stampede, scheduled from July 7-16.

Learn more and take action to help protect animals from inhumane treatment and suffering in rodeos. 

Take action
Learn more

Take the #SayNoToRodeo pledge

61% of Canadians are opposed to the use of animals in rodeo. Take the #SayNoToRodeo pledge to reflect your opposition to the inhumane treatment of animals in rodeo events.  

Follow & share “Rodeo Truth“

Check out RodeoTruth.com for more information about the rodeo and chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede. This public awareness project is a collaboration between the Vancouver Humane Society and concerned Calgarians.  

To keep spreading the word about why the Calgary Stampede should buck inhumane animal events, follow Rodeo Truth on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok and share the posts. 

Learn More

Deadly history

The Calgary Stampede’s rodeo and chuckwagon races have a deadly history, with more than 100 animal deaths since the VHS started tracking incidents in 1986. 

Last year, a horse was euthanized following a traumatic injury during the chuckwagon races; a horse in a bucking event was repeatedly struck in the face when the animal was reluctant to leave the chute; and a steer appeared injured during a wrestling event, when the steer’s neck was twisted by the competitor until the animal fell to the ground. He landed awkwardly on his hind leg and was seen limping away moments later. 

Animal welfare concerns

Rodeo events like bucking, roping, wrestling, and mutton busting are inherently inhumane. They rely on the use of fear, stress, and discomfort (e.g. spurs, flank straps, rough handling) to make animals perform and put them at unnecessary risk of injury and death for sake of public entertainment.  

Animals demonstrate visible signs of stress during rodeo events, including when their eyes roll back to show more of the white of their eyes, excessive salivation, and urination and defecation. Research demonstrates that calves experience acute stress and negative emotional states when chased and roped. 

These events are fundamentally at odds with how we should be handling and treating animals. In fact, they contradict industry requirements and best practices for the handling of farmed animals, which state that quiet handling techniques must be used and that abusive handling is unacceptable. If these same practices were used on farms, they would not be allowed.  

Growing public opposition

Public polling shows that a majority of Canadians are opposed to the use of animals in rodeo. Another poll 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. There are many other activities and events at the Calgary Stampede that can be enjoyed without putting animals in harm’s way. 

A pie graph indicating 61% on a background of a hand holding a rope used for rodeo

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Incident at this past weekend’s Princeton Rodeo illustrates animal welfare concerns

The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is raising concerns around an incident that occurred at a rodeo held in Princeton over the weekend. A video released by the VHS shows a horse jumping over the arena barrier and landing dangerously on their head. The incident took place during a bucking event. 

Take action
Watch the video

Quick action: Call for a rodeo bylaw in your community

Some communities, including the City of Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver and most recently the City of 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 similar bylaw in your community! 

Princeton Rodeo video raises concerns

Horse leaps over barrier and lands dangerously at Princeton Rodeo

No Description

Rodeo events like bareback riding rely on the use of fear, discomfort and stress to make animals flee and buck. This puts them at unnecessary risk of injury and death for the sake of public entertainment.

Public polling shows that a majority of British Columbians are opposed to the use of animals in rodeos. The organization and concerned B.C. residents have been advocating for municipal bylaws that prohibit inhumane rodeo events and practices. The City of Vancouver and District of North Vancouver already have bylaws in place and just last month the City of Port Moody also followed suit, unanimously passing a similar bylaw.  

This recent incident at the Princeton Rodeo, along with concerning video footage taken at rodeo events in Chilliwack and Langley last year, reiterates the importance of bylaws that protect animals from inhumane treatment and suffering in rodeos.

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Say no to federal ‘ag-gag’ bill targeting animal advocates

Update

This action has now ended. Thank you to the 4,020 advocates who used the quick action to speak out against anti-transparency ag-gag bills. Please see the Current Campaigns page for more ways you can help protect farmed animals.

An ‘ag-gag’ bill that targets animal advocates and whistleblowers will soon go to a vote. Tell your Member of Parliament to say NO to Bill C-275.

Take Action
Learn More

Quick action: Tell your MP to say NO to Bill C-275

This action has now ended.

4,020 people used the quick action tool to oppose Bill C-275. Thank you for taking action.

See more campaigns

What is Bill C-275?

Bill C-275 is a federal private member’s bill that, if passed, would target whistleblowers and undercover investigators who expose animal cruelty and welfare issues on farms. The bill calls for fines in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and jail time for offences by individuals and organizations. These types of concerning ‘ag-gag’ laws have been passed in some Canadian provinces including Alberta, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island and in the U.S. in recent years.

While decision-makers claim Bill C-275 will protect on-farm biosecurity by deterring trespassers, trespassing laws already exist and there are no documented cases of disease outbreaks having been caused by animal advocates. In fact, an Animal Justice report points to poor on-farm biosecurity practices as the cause of many disease outbreaks. The standard industry practice of keeping large numbers of animals in close confinement creates a prime environment for disease outbreak.

Instead of targeting animal advocates and whistleblowers who expose the conditions and treatment of animals on farms, the government should be addressing the conditions and treatment directly. Following a recent undercover expose of a B.C.-based slaughterhouse, the VHS is reiterating the urgent need for transparency and accountability within the animal agriculture sector.

Bill C-275 will soon be going to a vote in the House of Commons, making it crucial for Members of Parliament (MPs) to hear from constituents like you.

Ask your MP to say NO to Bill C-275