Tag: Past campaigns – farmed animals

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End fur farming in Canada (Federal e-petition)

A farmed fox peers through the wire mesh of their barren cage at a fur farm. This calico or marble-coated fox will spend their entire life confined, and typically alone, inside this type of cage. Foxes like this individual are used for breeding or will eventually be killed for their fur. Quebec, Canada, 2022. We Animals
Photo: We Animals

Update

This petition is now closed. Thank you to the 7,058 people who spoke out against inhumane fur farming!

Photo: We Animals

  • The Vancouver Humane Society is joining The Fur-Bearers and other organizations across Canada in calling for a national prohibition on fur farming in Canada. 
  • Fur farming causes significant animal suffering and poses serious risks to public health and the environment for the sake of luxury fashion items.
  • More than 20 countries have already banned fur farming or introduced legislation to do so in the coming years.
  • A new federal e-petition, launched by The Fur-Bearers, calls on the Canadian government to ban fur farming for all animal species across the country.

TAKE ACTION: Canadian residents can sign the official parliamentary e-petition until January 27, 2025. After you sign, be sure to click the link in the confirmation email so your signature is counted.

Petition updates
Learn more

Call on the Canadian government to ban cruel fur farming

Join the Vancouver Humane Society, The Fur-Bearers, MP Gord Johns, and other organizations in urging the federal government to end fur farming across Canada. 

Sign the federal e-petition on the Parliament of Canada website before January 27, 2025, at 6:48 a.m. PST. 

Important: After you sign the petition, be sure to check your email and click the confirmation link to ensure your signature is counted.  

Petition updates

Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media

Inhumane fur farming persists in Canada despite widespread opposition

There are close to 100 fur farms left in Canada. Animal species that are farmed for their fur include mink, fox, wolves, bobcats, lynxes and chinchillas. 

Although British Columbia banned mink fur farming in 2021, farming other species for their fur is still allowed in the province. There are currently no prohibitions at the national level. 

Polling from 2024 revealed that 78% of Canadians and 81% of British Columbians are against killing animals for their fur. 

Animal welfare concerns

On fur farms, animals are kept in small, wire cages for the entirety of their lives, depriving them of the ability to engage in natural behaviors typical in the wild. This can lead to stress, stereotypic behaviors, and self-mutilation.

Warning: The following video contains graphic footage. Viewer discretion is advised.

Inside Canada’s Fur Farms

Over the past several months, The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals obtained footage from inside Canada’s fur farms. This second video shows never-before-seen images of fox and mink suffering in deplorable conditions. Please join us and take the pledge to #MakeFurHistory at www.MakeFurHistory.com.

Public health risks

Animals confined in fur farms have been shown to be hosts for zoonotic diseases. For example, during COVID-19, deadly outbreaks were seen in fur farms globally, including locally in the Fraser Valley. Millions of animals were culled in an attempt to control the spread of the virus.

Environmental degradation

Manure runoff from large industrial fur farms pollutes nearby soil and bodies of water, threatening local animal populations, humans, and ecosystems. 

Petition updates

Visit furfarming.ca to learn more about The Fur-Bearers’ campaign to ban fur farming across Canada and the organizations that have signed on in support.

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Urge Metro Vancouver to prioritize plant-based in updated food strategy

Update

The feedback period for the Metro Vancouver Regional Food Strategy is now closed. Thank you to all who spoke up for a plant-forward future!

  • The Metro Vancouver Regional Food Strategy aims to create a sustainable, resilient, and healthy food system across 21 municipalities, an electoral area, and a treaty First Nation.
  • Metro Vancouver is updating the Regional Food System Strategy for the first time since 2011 and is seeking public input.  
  • This is an important opportunity for Metro Vancouver residents and food system stakeholders to advocate for a shift toward more humane, healthy and sustainable plant-based food production and consumption across the region. 

TAKE ACTION: If you’re a Metro Vancouver resident, your input is needed to help advocate for an updated strategy that prioritizes less animal-based products and more plant-based foods. Share your feedback in the online survey before the deadline of December 31, 2024.

Fill out the online survey
Questions and key points

Call for plant-based policies to be included in Metro Vancouver’s Regional Food System Strategy

If you are a Metro Vancouver resident, fill out the short survey before the December 31st deadline. 

Scroll down to review the main questions asked and key points to consider in your submission. 

Express your thoughts in your own words as much as possible, as duplicate responses may not be accepted. 

Fill out the online survey

Survey questions and tips

Below are the main questions included in the Metro Vancouver survey. Click on each key point for tips and context to help answer the questions in your own words.

1. What changes have you seen in the regional food system over the last 10 – 15 years?

(Examples: changes to imports/exports, climate considerations, community changes, consumer habits, costs, etc.)

Growing public awareness and concern about the impact of animal-based foods…

…on the environment, health, and animal welfare, resulting in more people reducing their consumption of animal products.

  • A 2022 survey of Lower Mainland Residents found that 65% of respondents have reduced their consumption of animal products. 
  • A 2019 survey found that 25% of B.C. residents have tried a vegetarian diet, compared to the national average of 18%.
  • A 2018 survey found that almost 40% of British Columbians aged 35 and under follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, more than three times higher than the national average. 
Increased demand for plant-based foods/beverages…

…and more products being offered in stores, restaurants, etc.

  • A 2022 survey found that 65% of respondents in the Lower Mainland would eat more plant-based meals if there were more tasty options available when going out to eat. 
Scientific research and experts urging all levels of government to support food system change…

…toward plant-based eating patterns.

  • Growing awareness that the type of food plays a much larger role in a food’s overall carbon footprint than the distance it travels. Previously, much of the focus has been on prioritizing local food, but it’s also increasingly important that plant-based food be incorporated into food system strategies. 
  • Food system change, including shifting toward plant-based diets, is necessary to meet global climate targets and stay below 2 degrees of global warming. 
  • In the City of Vancouver, nearly 98% of the ecological footprint of food comes from the land and energy used for growing and producing it, particularly red meat and dairy products. 
Government acknowledgement and action around the need for food system change…

…toward more plant-based foods. 

  • The City of Vancouver passed a motion declaring the various social, economic, and environmental benefits of plant-based procurement. 
  • The District of North Vancouver passed a motion to ensure plant-based options are included and prioritized at municipal events, meetings, and other gatherings where the District purchases food. 
Public support for government action…

…including meat reduction efforts incorporated into government strategies. 

  • In a 2022 survey of Lower Mainland residents, 58% of respondents would support shifting government subsidies from animal-based food production to plant-based food production. 
  • 60% of survey respondents would support including animal production-reduction efforts into local, provincial and federal climate, health and animal welfare strategies. 

Are there any other food system-related changes or trends you’ve noticed in the Lower Mainland over the last decade? 

2. What do you think the role of Metro Vancouver should be in the implementation of a regional food system strategy?

(Examples: protecting agricultural lands, convening member jurisdiction on specific issues, providing local research and data, public education, etc.) 

As a regional organization, Metro Vancouver and member jurisdictions can prioritize humane, healthy and sustainable plant-based foods across the supply chain.

This could include:

  • Prioritizing and incentivizing plant-based food production and processing.
  • Supporting partnerships that enable businesses, public institutions and others to collaborate on plant-based procurement throughout the region through bulk ordering and supplier connections.
  • Public marketing, education, and promotion around increasing plant-based food consumption, in alignment with the updated Canada Food Guide, which recommends choosing plant-based proteins more often.
  • Supporting more plant-based options in food service, including through public institutions like schools, hospitals and community centers, as well as in catering, corporate programs, and cafeterias.
  • Supporting consumption of more plant-based foods across consumer, corporate, business and institutional levels. 

Are there other food system-related roles you think Metro Vancouver should be involved in? 

3. Is there any other feedback or other information you would like to share?

(Examples: suggestions, priorities, actions programs applied elsewhere, policy recommendations, challenges, resources, etc.) 

Metro Vancouver is uniquely positioned to support a much-needed food system shift towards plant-based food across multiple sectors.

This could include strategies and practices such as: 

  • Promoting and supporting strategies that prioritize plant-based food choices. For example, setting plant-based meals as the default option at events, meetings and municipal facilities.
  • Incentivizing plant-based food production, processing, purchasing and procurement. For example, through municipal food service contracts.
  • Encouraging member jurisdictions to set a target for reducing the volume of animal products purchased at municipal levels and follow the lead of other jurisdictions that have implemented meat reduction and/or plant-forward strategies. 

Are there other food-system related ideas or examples you would like to share? 

Fill out the online survey
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Notable Canadians urge Senate to pass bill to ban live horse export for slaughter: Join them

Photo: Canadian Horse Defence Coalition
  • In a letter to the Canadian Senate, 30+ Canadian celebrities, 20+ veterinary and animal welfare experts, and more than a dozen animal advocacy organizations have called for an end to the cruel export of live horses abroad for slaughter.
  • Bill C-355, which would ban the cruel practice, got through the House of Commons but has been stalled in the Senate since May.
  • Recent investigations and Japanese government data show the suffering far exceeds what the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) claims.  
  • While the Senate delays action, horses continue to suffer and die as shipments continue.
  • TAKE ACTION: Use the quick action tool below to send a message to Canadian Senators in your province, urging them to move forward with bill C-355 without further delay.

Join Canadian celebrities, experts and advocates in urging the Senate to stop the deadly delay.

Take the quick action to email Canadian Senators

Use the email template below to send a message to Canadian Senators in your province, calling on them to move forward with bill C-355 without further delay.

Tip: For added impact, edit the template message below to personalize your email.

Note: Click here for individual contact info of Canadian Senators.

Canadian icon and multi-platinum artist Jann Arden, along with a host of celebrity signatories including Bryan Adams, Chantal Kreviazuk, Elisha Cuthbert and Queen’s Brian May have penned a letter imploring Canada’s Senate to move forward with Bill C-355, the Prohibition of the Export of Horses by Air for Slaughter Act. The letter (which can be found here) also has strong support from the Canadian acting community, including stars in shows like Star Trek: Discovery, The Handmaid’s Tale, Workin’ Moms, and Heartland.

More than 20 veterinary and animal welfare experts, and more than a dozen animal advocacy organizations have also signed the letter urging senators to study and pass this lifesaving bill, which was passed by the House of Commons in May.

“Since 2006, tens of thousands of terrified horses have been crammed into shoddy wooden crates and flown 8,000 km to their demise, enduring turbulence, thirst and hunger, and abject fear,” said Jann Arden. “To say this practice is inhumane would be an understatement. Canadians want this to end.”

Bill C-355 was introduced last September by federal MP Tim Louis to end the abhorrent practice of shipping horses from Canada overseas to Japan for slaughter. The Bill is being delayed by a handful of Senators and has seen little progress in the Senate since May. The clock is ticking – if the bill is to become law it must pass before the next federal election.

Tens of thousands of Canadians have called and written to Senators, urging them to study and pass the bill. Yet as the legislation remains in limbo, these shipments continue to be sent overseas for slaughter, with horses enduring gruelling journeys. Most shipments appear to go over the legal limit of 28 hours without food, water, and rest.

Shipments continue despite the revelations uncovered through recent investigations by Animal Justice and Japan-based Life Investigation Agency. Based on Government of Japan records, between June 2023 and May 2024 alone, at least 21 horses exported for slaughter died during transport or in the hours and days shortly thereafter.

More than 50 others were injured or became seriously ill during this time. None of these injuries, illnesses, or deaths were reported to Canadian officials.

Bill C-355 reflects a promise made to Canadians during the last federal election, and enjoys broad public support across the political spectrum. With a pending election expected in 2025, Ms. Arden and the letter’s numerous other signatories are gravely concerned about the Senate’s delay in studying and ultimately passing this crucial legislation.

Back to quick action

Learn more

  • Check out Canadian singer-songwriter Jann Arden’s #HorseShit campaign, which aims to end the practice of live horse export for slaughter. 
  • Get an in-depth look at the horse export and slaughter industry, thanks to the work of the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC).
  • Read or listen to and share this episode of The Informed Animal Ally, the VHS’s monthly podcast, featuring guest speaker Sinikka Crosland of the CHDC. 
  • Read and share the op-ed by the VHS and Animal Justice, published in the Daily Hive, to raise awareness about this inhumane industry.

Cover photo: Canadian Horse Defence Coalition

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Call for transparent labelling for ALL egg products

A crowded battery cage full of brown laying hens

Update

The feedback period for transparent labelling on egg products is now closed. Thank you to all who spoke up for transparency for egg-laying hens!

  • The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is looking for public feedback on proposed guidelines for how plant-based egg products can be labelled. 
  • While the intention is to prevent false or misleading advertising of plant-based products, research shows that consumers find labelling of eggs from chickens confusing.
  • TAKE ACTION: Your input is needed to help advocate for fair and transparent labelling standards among all egg products in Canada. Share your feedback in a quick email before the consultation deadline of October 28th. 
Email your feedback
Key points

Push for fair and transparent labelling of animal-based egg products 

Send a short email before the October 28th consultation deadline. Scroll down to review a few key points to consider in your submission. 

Use your own words as much as possible (do not copy and paste) as duplicate responses may not be considered. 

Send an email (2 min)

Key points to consider in your email

Which eggs would consumers consider the most “humane”? Source: Save-On Foods.

Chicken egg product labelling is confusing and misleading  

A 2024 survey prepared by Bryant Research found that consumers are confused and misled by chicken egg labels and packaging.

Terms such as free-range, free-run, cage-free and enriched colony housing have no legal definitions. These terms, along with marketing tactics such as labels with images of happy hens frolicking in the grass, are misleading when compared to the on-farm conditions and methods of production.  

Tip: Share your own experience with chicken egg labelling. Have you found it confusing to understand the welfare information and method of production (caged vs. cage-free eggs) of eggs at your grocery store?  

Egg product labelling should include welfare information and method of production 

Research shows that a majority of Canadian consumers think about animal welfare when deciding what eggs to purchase. The majority are willing to spend more when they believe the hens’ welfare is higher.  

Consumers and advocates are increasingly calling for in-store egg labelling that includes animal welfare and method of production (e.g. caged vs. cage-free) information.  

Fairness in labelling for ALL egg products 

Guidelines for plant-based egg labelling must be fair and not put plant-based products at a disadvantage to animal-based products. Efforts to prevent misleading advertising and improve transparency must apply to ALL egg products.  

Send an email (2 min)

10 minute survey

Have more time? You can learn more about the proposed guidance on plant-based egg labelling and submit your feedback via the online feedback questionnaire, which includes more questions.  

Update: The online questionnaire is now closed. Thank you to all who participated.

Review proposed guidance
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Have your say: Chicken and turkey welfare survey

An industrial farm for turkeys used for meat, crowded indoors with dark lighting

Update

The feedback period for the Chicken and Turkey Code of Practice is now closed. Thank you to all who spoke up for chickens and turkeys!

  • The National Farm Animal Care Council’s (NFACC) Chicken and Turkey Code of Practice, which serves as a guideline for on-farm care and handling of birds raised for meat, is coming up for review for the first time since 2016.  
  • A short public survey will help determine the top priorities for the code review. 
  • The current code allows for many inhumane practices that compromise the welfare of chickens and turkeys in the poultry industry.   
  • In 2023, more than 780 million chickens were raised and killed for meat in Canada, representing the vast majority of animals farmed for food nationwide. 

TAKE ACTION: Take the 5-minute survey to speak up for hundreds of millions of individual animals. 

Share your top welfare concerns for chickens and turkeys 

Take the short survey to share your top 3 welfare concerns for chickens and turkeys raised for meat in Canada. The deadline to participate has been extended to November 8, 2024.  

  • Scroll down to read a few key welfare issues you may want to consider. 
  • Please use your own words (do not copy and paste the wording below), as duplicate responses will not be considered. 
  • Share constructive feedback, as submissions that include profanity or derogatory language will not be considered by NFACC. 
  • Note: The code is specific to on-farm practices (not including transport) and birds raised for meat (not including eggs).  
Take the survey

Top welfare priorities

Overcrowding 

Lower the stocking density of birds on poultry farms and provide them with more space to move freely and exhibit natural behaviors. 

Overcrowding in chicken and turkey farms in Canada presents significant welfare and health concerns for the birds. Intensive farming practices, driven by the demand for low-cost poultry, often result in large numbers of birds confined to limited spaces.

For example, the average chicken farm in Canada houses 36,000 birds.

This high-density environment can lead to increased stress, aggressive behaviours, and the spread of diseases, which may necessitate the use of antibiotics and other interventions.

Furthermore, overcrowding compromises the birds’ ability to engage in natural behaviors, such as movement and foraging. This impacts their overall well-being. 

Fast-growing breeds 

Prohibit fast-growing breeds, in favour of higher-welfare breeds that grow more naturally. 

Breeding practices have led to fast-growing chicken and turkey breeds that amount to higher profits for producers but come at significant health and welfare costs for the birds. In 1950, it took 84 days for a chicken raised for meat to reach market weight. Today it takes 38 to 40 days.

The accelerated growth has been linked to skeletal deformities, heart problems, and reduced mobility, as these birds may struggle to support their own weight.  

Barren on-farm environments 

Improve on-farm conditions by requiring:

  • access to outdoors;
  • enrichment opportunities and materials, such as perches, pecking and foraging materials;
  • natural light and darkness; and healthy air quality and litter.   

Intensive farming practices have increasingly led to chickens and turkeys being housed in barren barns, without access to natural light, outdoors, and enrichment opportunities that allow them to engage in important natural behaviours, such as perching, pecking, and foraging. They spend much of their short lives surrounded by their own waste, contributing to unhealthy conditions. 

Painful procedures 

Prohibit painful physical procedures, including beak and toe “trimming” and snood removal.

Common physical procedures on poultry farms, including beak and toe “trimming” and snood (fleshy area on a turkey’s beak) removal, are done to prevent feather pecking and other injuries in flocks. These invasive procedures are performed without pain control, which can lead to chronic pain and stress. 

Feather pecking and other injuries are often a result of intensive farming practices, including overcrowding, barren environments and lack of enrichment opportunities that allow birds to engage in natural behaviours.

Take the survey
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Tell Canadian government to recognize animals as sentient beings under law (federal e-petition)

A close-up of a dairy cow's eye in a transport truck.
A dairy cow is transported. Photo: Louise Jorgensen \ We Animals Media.

Photo: Louise Jorgensen \ We Animals Media.

Update

This petition is now closed. Thank you to everyone who signed and spoke up for animals. Please go to this page for current campaigns.

  • The Vancouver Humane Society and other experts and organizations across Canada are calling on the federal government to recognize animals as sentient beings under the law.
  • Under current Canadian law, animals are not considered sentient beings; they are classified as property.
  • Sentience is the ability to experience feelings and sensations, and is an ethical basis for determining that animals deserve moral and legal consideration.
  • Experts agree there is scientific evidence that all vertebrates and many invertebrates are sentient.
  • If passed, this legislation would help to strengthen legal protections for animal well-being.

Can you sign the petition to recognize animals as sentient beings under Canadian law?

Join Elizabeth May, the Vancouver Humane Society, and animal organizations and experts across the country in asking the federal government to recognize animals as sentient beings rather than property.

Sign the federal e-petition on the Parliament of Canada website before November 10, 2024, at 7:26 a.m.

Important: After you sign the petition, be sure to check your email and click the confirmation link to ensure your signature is counted.

View updates (petition closed)

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Take action for plant-based progress in Canada (federal e-petition)

Overhead photo of a variety of vegan plant-based dishes

Update

This federal e-petition has now closed. Thank you for taking action to help protect farmed animals.

  • Animal agriculture is responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions as well as wide-scale animal suffering.
  • In 2023, nearly 859 million land animals were killed for food in Canada.
  • Moving toward a plant-based food system is a vital step for animal well-being and environmental protection.
  • A new parliamentary e-petition calls on the Government of Canada to take three plant-forward actions which would help meet its climate commitments.
Official petition (Closed)

Tell the government to take plant-forward action before October 8th

Moving toward a plant-based food system is one of the most significant changes our society can make for animal welfare and environmental protection. If every Canadian who eats animal products switched to plant-based food just one day each week, our nation would save nearly 123 million animal lives per year.

A new federal e-petition calls on the government to:

  • Educate Canadians on benefits of eating less meat, dairy, eggs and more plant-based foods in keeping with Canada’s Food Guide;
  • Require federal institutions and federally funded food programs (eg; National School Food Program) to procure more plant-based foods; and
  • Limit growth of industrial animal agriculture and support small-scale farmers using resilient, humane, sustainable farming practices.

Can you sign the petition before October 8th and help save millions of animals from suffering and slaughter?

Check status (Petition closed)

Important: After you sign the petition, be sure to check your email and click the confirmation link to ensure your signature is counted.

A mother cow and calf on a farm sanctuary
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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”.

Take the survey
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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

Update

Bill C-355 passed its final vote in the House of Commons. Thank you for taking action for horses! Ask Senate to support the bill without further delay here.

  • 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.

This action has now ended.

6,771 people used this tool to call for a ban on the export of live horses for slaughter. Thank you for taking action.

See more campaigns

Learn more

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!