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Port Moody passes motion to prohibit inhumane rodeo events

A big win for animals in Port Moody

A recent motion to prohibit inhumane rodeo events within city limits was unanimously passed by Port Moody City Council!

The sponsor of the motion, Councillor Kyla Knowles, cited evidence of animal suffering, risk of injury, and public calls for action. She noted that “the routine rough handling of animals in rodeo events completely contradicts industry requirements and best practices for the handling of farmed animals.”

Why a proactive ban?

While many rodeos have been cancelled in the past decade due to public controversy and animal welfare concerns, recent activity from rodeo organizers has emphasized the need for proactive protections for animals.

Last year, a new rodeo was established in Langley Township, which has no bylaws in place prohibiting inhumane rodeo practices. The event prompted advocacy for protective bylaws across B.C.—both in communities where rodeos occur and those where rodeo activities are not yet held.

This bylaw helps to ensure that new events being introduced do not expose animals to the unnecessary fear, stress, and risk associated with rodeos.

Port Moody joins two more B.C. municipalities with rodeo bylaws

The move to ban inhumane rodeo events including bucking, roping, wrestling, and mutton busting in Port Moody follows similar bylaws in place in the City of Vancouver and District of North Vancouver. It also aligns with public polling that indicates a majority of B.C. residents are opposed to the use of animals in rodeo events.

Could your municipality be the next community to prohibit inhumane rodeo practices? Call on your city council to protect animals used in rodeo events!

Take action

Update

This action has now ended. Thank you to the 4,143 advocates who used the quick action to call for bylaws banning inhumane rodeo events. Please see the Current Campaigns page for more ways you can help rodeo animals, including an action calling for both municipal bylaws and an end to provincial funding for cruel rodeo events.

Quick action: Contact your city council

Public polling shows that a majority of British Columbians and Canadians are opposed to the use of animals in rodeo.

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

This action has now ended.

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

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Next step: Join the Animal Advocacy Committee for grassroots action

Are you a B.C. resident interested in taking further action to support the introduction of a rodeo bylaw in your community? Learn more and join the VHS’s new Animal Advocacy Committee!  

Join now
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Call on your city council to prohibit inhumane rodeo events in your community

Rodeos include timed, fast-paced events that involve rough handling of animals. This is contradictory to the animal agriculture industry’s requirements for quiet, low-stress handling of animals on farms. The same mistreatment of animals in the rodeo arena would be considered animal cruelty if observed on a farm.

Update

This action has now ended. Thank you to the 4,143 advocates who used the quick action to call for bylaws banning inhumane rodeo events. Please see the Current Campaigns page for more ways you can help rodeo animals, including an action calling for both municipal bylaws and an end to provincial funding for cruel rodeo events.

Roping, bucking, wrestling and mutton busting events at rodeos subject animals to fear, discomfort, stress and an unnecessary risk of injury, all for the sake of entertainment. Photos and videos taken at rodeos in British Columbia highlight these animal welfare issues and reiterate the need for stronger municipal bylaws.  

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Quick action: Contact your city council

Public polling shows that a majority of British Columbians and Canadians are opposed to the use of animals in rodeo.

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 bylaw in your community! 

This action has now ended.

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

See more campaigns

Next step: Join the Animal Advocacy Committee for grassroots action

Are you a B.C. resident interested in taking further action to support the introduction of a rodeo bylaw in your community? Learn more and join the VHS’s new Animal Advocacy Committee!  

Join now

Inhumane rodeo events, practices & tools 

Recent footage from B.C. rodeos reveals numerous animal welfare issues, including stressed and frightened animals being roughly handled and deliberately agitated into fleeing and bucking. Watch the video below to see how inhumane practices and tools cause animal suffering in rodeo events.

Animal welfare issues spotted at B.C. rodeos

Video footage taken at rodeos in Chilliwack and Langley Township shows stressed and frightened animals being roughly handled and deliberately agitated into fleeing and bucking. Learn more and take action: https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/rodeos/

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New Canadian dairy industry standards released

Guidelines are not enough.

While the NFACC guidelines aim to address cruelty, the code’s reach is not absolute. Meaningful monitoring, enforcement, and penalties for industry stakeholders found guilty of animal abuse are still needed to ensure animals are protected.

Take action

More than 5,800 people commented on new dairy industry guidelines

Last year, the VHS and other animal organizations across Canada spoke out for animals during a consultation period on the National Farm Animal Care Council’s (NFACC) Dairy Cattle Code of Practice, which provides guidelines for the care of dairy cows on farms across Canada, and shared tips on how to call for much-needed improvements during the public comment period. Thousands of animal advocates and concerned consumers responded, and the Code received a record-setting 5,800+ comments! 

The NFACC has now released its updated Dairy Cattle Code of Practice. The strong public response during the public consultation prompted some positive changes, including stronger restrictions around abusive handling, changes to housing models, and a ban on branding. However, several areas of the Code still fall short of expectations. 

A veal calf from the dairy industry chained up during the Quebec winter. Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur \ We Animals Media.

Click or tap the headings below for more details on each section.

Calf housing – Pair/group housing to be required, but not until 2031 

A primary area of concern noted in the public consultation was around calf housing. Approximately 63% of farms currently keep dairy calves in individual housing. This lack of social and physical contact with other calves can cause significant stress for calves. Despite this, the new code continues to allow calves to be kept in individual housing until 2031, at which point they are to be housed in pairs or groups by 4 weeks old. The stressful industry practice of separating mothers and newly born calves was unaddressed in the new code.   

Cow housing – Continuous tethering to be phased out, but details needed around freedom of movement 

Currently, cows can be kept tethered in individual stalls and there has been no requirement for access to pasture, outdoors or a sheltered, bedded pen. Under the new code, continuous tethering will be prohibited by 2027, at which point cows must be provided “sufficient regular opportunity for freedom of movement”. What this means in practice is yet to be determined. 

No requirement for outdoor access 

The NFACC acknowledges that cows are “naturally motivated to access pasture and graze” and that “regular access to open outdoor areas or bedded packs improves hoof health, reduces the frequency and severity of injuries, and can reduce the occurrence of lameness”. Despite this, the new code does not require that cows be provided access to sheltered, bedded packs, exercise yards, or the outdoors.

No emergency plans required, despite recent disasters  

The public consultation period for the dairy code began just weeks after catastrophic flooding hit British Columbia in 2021. This emergency, along with the record-breaking heat waves from earlier that same year, claimed the lives of 1.3 million farmed animals and reiterated the need for emergency plans for farms. Shockingly, the new code fails to include any requirements around emergency planning.  

Compromised and lactating cows still allowed to be transported 

Transport is a particularly stressful process for farmed animals, especially for dairy cows who may be in poor condition after their milk production declines or who are ill or injured. Still, the new code allows compromised (e.g. mild lameness, not fully healed from a procedure) or still lactating cows to be transported, putting them at risk of further injury and suffering.  

Stronger language introduced around abusive handling 

The new code prohibits abusive handling, which it defines as including but not limited to “kicking, beating, striking, tail twisting, dragging, improper use of a prod, and forcefully pulling cattle by the tail, head, or neck.” 

The new Dairy Code of Practice can be read in full here (opens as a PDF).

Monitoring, enforcement and penalties needed 

To protect the well-being of dairy cows, the new Code of Practice must be paired with independent, proactive third-party oversight; enforcement; and effective penalties.

The 2021 undercover investigation of Cedar Valley Farms, a B.C.-based dairy farm, reiterates the importance of proactive monitoring to deter and catch cruelty violations. Footage from the farm revealed serious instances of illegal animal abuse. A former employee of Cedar Valley Farms, who worked there for four years, told media he’d repeatedly reported the abuse, but nothing changed.  

Take action

Update

This action has now ended. Thank you to the 4,381 advocates who used the quick action to call for meaningful changes for farmed animals. Please see the Current Campaigns page for more ways you can help farmed animals, including an action calling for widespread changes to protect animals raised and slaughtered for human use in the agriculture system.

Now is your chance to speak up for farmed animals! The B.C. government is currently conducting a review of the province’s farmed animal welfare framework. Use the quick action tool below to send a message to B.C.’s Minister of Agriculture. 

Help protect farmed animals

In December 2021, the VHS launched a campaign calling for greater protections for farmed animals in B.C. To date, more than 3,700 animal supporters have used the quick action tool to contact the Ministry of Agriculture calling for:

  • Government-mandated and proactively-enforced compliance with the National Farm Animal Care Council Codes of Practice
  • Publicly-available reports of independent, third party audits on farms
  • Consistent video surveillance monitoring on farms
  • Emergency planning to protect farmed animals in disasters
Back to original campaign

Please call on B.C.’s Premier and the Minister of Agriculture to take these important actions to better protect farmed animals from cruelty and suffering.

This action has now ended.

4,381 people used this tool to call for meaningful changes to protect farmed animals. Thank you for taking action.

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No updates in cruelty investigation at B.C. slaughterhouse; calls for license suspension

Cattle walk crowded together at a feedlot in rural Québec, Canada.
Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media

Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media

Update

This action has now ended. Thank you to the 4,626 advocates who used the quick action to call for meaningful changes for farmed animals. Please see the Current Campaigns page for more ways you can help farmed animals, including an action calling for widespread changes to protect animals raised and slaughtered for human use in the agriculture system.

Animals suffer as action delayed

More than a month after disturbing footage unveiled horrific animal cruelty at Meadow Valley Meats, a B.C.-based and provincially-licensed slaughterhouse, there are still no updates in the investigation. 

Take action

Letter asks Province to remove Meadow Valley Meats license

Animal Justice provided the footage to B.C.’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Minister stated the situation was being looked into. More than a month later, no further updates have been provided.

The VHS has sent a letter to the Minister supporting Animal Justice’s recent request that the slaughterhouse’s license be suspended or cancelled:

“The video footage shared with the ministry reveals shocking cruelty and captures clear violations of B.C.’s Meat Inspection Regulation, which requires ‘An abattoir licence holder must ensure that an animal in the licensed abattoir is kept before slaughter and slaughtered in accordance with the requirements relating to the humane treatment of animals …'”

Minister @Pam_Alexis_ and the Ministry of Agriculture should cancel or suspend the license for Meadow Valley Meats for their egregious violations of regulations.

Video footage

Content warning: The footage released by Animal Justice depicts horrific animal suffering in a slaughterhouse. 

The footage captured numerous instances of animal abuse, suffering and clear violations of provincial and federal slaughter regulations, including cows, sheep and goats being forcefully hit, kicked, dragged and thrown to the ground; frightened animals crowded together in hallways and panicked attempts to escape; cruel use of an electric prod on the face of cows; improper slaughter techniques, with animals being improperly stunned to render them unconscious before slaughter; and still conscious animals having their necks cut.

Watch & share video footage

Act now!

Thousands of concerned Canadians have taken action, calling on decision-makers to implement meaningful changes for farmed animals in slaughterhouses.

Quick action: Email the B.C. Minister of Agriculture

Use the quick email tool below to call for meaningful changes for farmed animals in B.C., including:

  1. Proactive enforcement of the Meat Inspection Regulation, which governs provincial slaughterhouses, including appropriate deterrents to prevent animal cruelty and including unannounced inspections;
  2. Publicly-available reports of independent, third-party audits, including consistent video surveillance monitoring for real transparency; and
  3. Effective penalties for industry stakeholders who are found guilty of animal cruelty.

Tip: Personalize your message to make it more impactful! The template below is editable, so feel free to share more about why this issue is important to you.

Live outside of Canada? You can email the Minister at: AF.Minister@gov.bc.ca

This action has now ended.

4,626 people used this tool to call for changes in slaughterhouses. Thank you for taking action.

See more campaigns

Next step: Sign the federal action from Animal Justice

Take action to call for improvements to federal regulations around farmed animal care and slaughter in Canada. This quick action from Animal Justice calls on the federal Minister of Agriculture to introduce mandatory video surveillance in slaughterhouses.

Note: This link will take you to the quick action. Scrolling up on the linked page will reveal graphic images of animal suffering.

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Federal e-petition: No factory farms for octopuses

Update

Petition e-4312 has ended after receiving 17,294 signatures. Thank you to those who took action. You can read updates on the Parliament of Canada website.

“Imagine if we could go back in time to when we first started farming pigs and put an end to that practice then and there. Because pig farming would evolve exponentially into an industry that would kill (often brutally) 1.5 billion animals each year…Chances are, most of us would jump on that opportunity to rewind the clock. Now, we’re at this historic crossroads with octopus farming. While certain countries and companies race to open the first octopus farms, scientists, advocates and policy-makers are pursuing action to ban this practice and protect these sentient creatures from the cruel world of factory farming.” – We Animals Media

View the official petition
Learn more

Say no to industrial octopus farming

As companies around the world have begun to explore industrial-scale octopus (and other cephalopod) farming, a new official federal e-petition aims to ban the practice.

  • Ban the importation of farmed cephalopod products into Canada
  • Prohibit the breeding or raising of cephalopods in captivity on Canadian territory

The federal e-petition to say no to the factory farming of these intelligent, behaviourally complex and sensitive animals is now closed.

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

Photo: A Hawaiian day octopus observes visitors during a tour at Kanaloa Octopus Farm on the Big Island of Hawaii. The facility confines wild-caught octopuses alone in small tanks to perform breeding experiments on them for the octopus aquaculture industry. Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA, 2022. Laura Lee Cascada / The Every Animal Project / We Animals Media

Learn more

Photos of Kanaloa Octopus Farm: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA, 2022; Laura Lee Cascada / The Every Animal Project / We Animals Media.

Photos of processing plant: Keratsini, Greece, 2020; Selene Magnolia / We Animals Media.

Anyone who has seen the award-winning documentary “My Octopus Teacher” can appreciate how smart, curious and sensitive octopuses are. They can recognise individuals outside of their own species, including humans. Field studies have recorded them engaging in tool-using behaviour in the wild and they have also exhibited problem-solving skills, including navigating mazes and solving puzzles.  

Octopuses are typically solitary, wild animals, making them particularly ill-suited to being raised in large numbers on industrial farms. Research also demonstrates that octopuses and other cephalopods have complex nervous systems and the ability to experience pain and distress – key hallmarks of sentience.  

Industrial octopus farming will also increase unsustainable pressure on wild fish populations, as the industry will require large amounts of fishmeal and fish oil products to feed farmed octopuses.  

All of this makes confining these animals in crowded, barren industrial farms especially concerning. Sign the petition calling on the Canadian government to take a stand against the farming of octopuses and other cephalopods.  

Advocates introduce federal e-petition

The petition was introduced by the Montreal SPCA and Green Party leader Elizabeth May, and supported by the Vancouver Humane Society, Animal Justice, BC SPCA, Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals, Humane Canada, Last Chance for Animals and Winnipeg Humane Society. Once the petition closes, it will be presented in the House of Commons and the federal government will respond within 45 days of it being presented.  

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Horrific footage from B.C. slaughterhouse prompts new action for farmed animals

Cattle peek through a fence at a feedlot in rural Québec, Canada.
Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media

Photos: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media

Update

This action has now ended. Thank you to the 4,626 advocates who used the quick action to call for meaningful changes for farmed animals. Please see the Current Campaigns page for more ways you can help farmed animals, including an action calling for widespread changes to protect animals raised and slaughtered for human use in the agriculture system.

B.C. slaughterhouse with connections to previous cruelty case under investigation

Last night, Animal Justice released horrific footage of animal cruelty at Meadow Valley Meats, a slaughterhouse in Pitt Meadows that promotes itself as “local” and its meat products as “ethical”. This footage shows suffering of the worst kind and demonstrates a clear violation of provincial and federal slaughter regulations. 

Take action
Next step
Learn more

Quick action: Email the B.C. Minister of Agriculture

Use the quick email tool below to call for meaningful changes for farmed animals in B.C., including:

  1. Proactive enforcement of the Meat Inspection Regulation, which governs provincial slaughterhouses, including appropriate deterrents to prevent animal cruelty and including unannounced inspections;
  2. Publicly-available reports of independent, third-party audits, including consistent video surveillance monitoring for real transparency; and
  3. Effective penalties for industry stakeholders who are found guilty of animal cruelty.

Tip: Personalize your message to make it more impactful! The template below is editable, so feel free to share more about why this issue is important to you.

Live outside of Canada? You can email the Minister at: AF.Minister@gov.bc.ca

This action has now ended.

4,626 people used this tool to call for changes in slaughterhouses. Thank you for taking action.

See more campaigns

Next step: Sign the federal action from Animal Justice

Take action to call for improvements to federal regulations around farmed animal care and slaughter in Canada. This quick action from Animal Justice calls on the federal Minister of Agriculture to introduce mandatory video surveillance in slaughterhouses.

Note: This link will take you to the quick action. Scrolling up on the linked page will reveal graphic images of animal suffering.

Take action

Not the first time Meadow Valley Meats has been in trouble

Meadow Valley Meats is a B.C.-based slaughterhouse company. According to their website, they are the largest B.C. processor of beef, veal, lambs and goats. This footage does not show an isolated incident, but further evidence of systemic problems in the animal agriculture industry from a major local 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 the tainted meat. Meadow Valley Meats also lists Jeff and Ken Kooyman as directors. The two men have connections to the infamous 2014 Chilliwack Cattle Sales dairy cruelty case. That investigation revealed staff repeatedly kicking and punching cows, hitting them with canes and ripping out their tail hair. Video footage also showed a cow being lifted by a chain around her neck using a tractor. The company was fined the maximum amount and had to pay $258,700.

These horrific cases reflect what animal advocates have long argued – that there are serious, systemic animal welfare issues across the animal agriculture industry. It also highlights that court-mandated fines are not enough to change the behaviour of the industry and protect animals.

Meadow Valley Meats is responsible for the following brands, many of which are marketed as local, humane, or family farms.

Image: Meadow Valley Meats website

Regulations around animal slaughter

Meadow Valley Meats is regulated by the Provincial Meat Inspection Regulation, which requires that animals are kept & slaughtered “in accordance with the requirements relating to the humane treatment of animals” set forth by the federal government. 

The animal agriculture industry and regulating bodies tout requirements of “humane slaughter” to build public trust; but sadly, this claim doesn’t translate to good welfare for animals.

Help raise awareness: watch & share the footage

Content warning: This footage released by Animal Justice to CTV News depicts horrific animal suffering in a slaughterhouse.

The investigation highlights numerous issues at the slaughterhouse, including:

  • Cows, sheep and goats being forcefully hit, kicked and thrown to the ground;
  • Frightened animals crowded together in hallways and panicked attempts to escape;
  • Cruel use of an electric prod on the face of cows;
  • Improper slaughter techniques, with animals being improperly stunned to render them unconscious before slaughter;
  • Still conscious animals having their necks cut;
  • A sheep that appears injured or sick and unable to walk is dragged from a pen to the slaughter area.
Watch & share video footage
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Tell B.C.’s Minister of Tourism: No funding for inhumane rodeo events

Many rodeo events, such as roping, bucking and wrestling events, involve rough handling which puts animals at risk of serious injury and death.

Update

This action has now ended. Thank you to the 2,452 advocates who used the quick action to call on the Ministry of Tourism not to fund inhumane rodeo events. Please see the Current Campaigns page for more ways you can help rodeo animals, including an action calling for both municipal bylaws and an end to provincial funding for cruel rodeo events.

Rodeos will be eligible for recently announced B.C. government funding

The Government of British Columbia recently announced new funding for fairs, festivals, and events; but the inclusion of inhumane rodeo events is cause for concern.

Tell B.C.’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport that the use of taxpayer dollars to support inhumane and outdated rodeo events, which the majority of British Columbians oppose, is a step in the wrong direction.

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Say no to funding rodeo cruelty

Rodeo events, such as roping, bucking, wrestling and mutton busting (children riding sheep), are inherently stressful for animals. They rely on the use of fear, discomfort and aversive stimuli (flank straps and spurs) to make the animals perform for public entertainment.

These events also put animals at unnecessary risk of injury, such as broken bones, neck injuries and internal damage.

This is fundamentally at odds with how we should be handling and treating animals. In fact, it contradicts industry requirements and best practices for the handling of farmed animals, which state that quiet handling techniques are required.

A new study looking at calf-roping adds to the growing body of evidence that animals suffer in rodeo events. It found that calves exhibited signs of distress across every phase of the calf roping event, from being chased, lassoed and caught, to when they were released.

Most communities have moved away from rodeos and toward other types of family-friendly community events. For example, the Luxton Rodeo near Victoria was cancelled in 2015 and the Abbotsford Rodeo was cancelled in 2016. The City of Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver have already implemented a ban on rodeo events.

Take Action: Email the Minister of Tourism

Tip: Personalize your message to make it more impactful! The template below is editable, so feel free to share more about why this issue is important to you and alternative community events that you’d prefer to see supported through government funding.

Live outside of Canada? You can share your concerns, as a tourist, with the Minister at: TACS.minister@gov.bc.ca

This action has now ended.

2,452 people used this tool to email the Minister of Tourism. Thank you for taking action.

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Video from B.C. rodeos

Video footage from recent local rodeos reveals recurring welfare issues, including animals being roughly handled and deliberately agitated into fleeing and bucking.

What happened at this year’s Chilliwack and Langley rodeos

The return of the Chilliwack rodeo this year, along with a controversial new rodeo held in Langley Township, has raised concerns about the well-being and welfare of animals made to perform in rodeo events. Video footage taken at both rodeos this summer shows stressed and frightened animals being roughly handled and deliberately agitated into fleeing and bucking.

Photos from B.C. rodeos

Read & share: It’s time to stop using taxpayer money to fund inhumane events

“With a myriad of positive events that could use funds to reinvigorate the tourism sector and celebrate culture, community, and compassion, it would be incredibly disappointing for the Province to sink funding into a cruel and outdated practice that, as the majority of British Columbians agree, is better left in the past.”

Read the VHS’s opinion piece published in the Daily Hive Vancouver.

Read & share opinion piece
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End live horse export for slaughter

Update

Two bills have been introduced to ban the live export of horses from Canada for slaughter. Read the update and support the bills here.

It’s been one year since the Prime Minister issued a mandate for the federal Minister of Agriculture to ban the live export of horses for slaughter. Since then, approximately 2,000 horses have been shipped on lengthy and stressful transport journeys abroad, destined for slaughter.

Speak up for horses: Support the recent federal e-petition calling for a ban by sending a message to decision-makers.

Action: Contact your MP and federal decision-makers

Use the email template below to send a personalized message to your Member of Parliament, the federal Minister of Agriculture and the Prime Minister, asking them to act to end the export of live horses for slaughter.

Note: If you live outside of Canada and want to take action, you can email the Prime Minister at: PM@pm.gc.ca and the Minister of Agriculture at: aafc.minister-ministre.aac@agr.gc.ca

UPDATE – September 19, 2023: Private member’s bill introduced

Private member’s bill C-355 was introduced in the House of Commons by Liberal MP Tim Louis, aiming to ban the controversial practice of exporting live horses from Canada for slaughter abroad. This bill, along with the Senate bill introduced in June, presents a crucial opportunity for the federal government to follow through on their promise to ban live horse export for slaughter once and for all. Send the new email urging decision-makers to support this urgent change and save thousands of horses’ lives!

See bill details

UPDATE – June 21, 2023: Senate bill introduced!

Singer-songwriter and animal advocate Jann Arden and Senator Pierre Dalphond have announced the introduction of the Horse Protection Act, a Senate bill which proposes to ban the export of live horses for slaughter. MP Tim Louis also plans to introduce a private Member’s bill in the House of Commons this fall to ban the practice. Thank you to everyone who advocated for an end to cruel live horse exports, including more than 36,000 Canadians who signed the federal petition!

Read the announcement

Update – March 29, 2023: Federal Minister of Agriculture responds to e-petition

The federal Minister of Agriculture, Marie-Claude Bibeau, responded to the petition that calls for a ban on the live export of horses for slaughter. The Minister’s statement notes that they “remain committed to ban the export of live horses for slaughter, as communicated in the Minister’s mandate letter” and that the government is engaging in stakeholder consultation and “exploring the legal and policy framework for a ban on live horse exports for slaughter.”

The VHS and other animal protection organizations continue to advocate for a ban to be implemented as soon as possible. Each month that action is delayed, hundreds of horses continue to suffer through long, stressful overseas journeys without food, water, or rest. 

Read the Minister’s response

Update – February 17, 2023: Letter from animal protection organizations highlights egregious suffering

A letter signed by nine animal protection organizations across Canada highlights the egregious suffering of horses sent on overseas journeys and urges the federal Minister of Agriculture to quickly end the cruel live horse export industry. Read an excerpt from the letter below:

Since the 2021 election, more than 2,000 horses have been exported from Canada to Japan for slaughter. Some of these horses were shipped out of Winnipeg on December 12, 2022. Because of flight delays, the horses were in transport without food, water, and rest for well over 28 hours. By the time they left Winnipeg at 9:18am that day, they had already been in transit without food, water, and rest for approximately 16.5 hours and there was no way that the 28 hour limit would be met if they continued on to Japan. Yet those involved proceeded with the shipment. Further delays in Seattle resulted in an even longer journey. So arduous were the conditions that at least three horses collapsed during the trip.

Read the full letter from Animal Justice Canada, the Winnipeg Humane Society, the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition, Manitoba Animal Save, the Vancouver Humane Society, Animal Save Movement, Humane Canada, World Animal Protection, and the BC SPCA.

Read the letter

Update – February 13, 2023: Federal e-petition has been presented in the House of Commons

A federal parliamentary e-petition, led by Jann Arden and sponsored by MP Alistair MacGregor, calls on the Minister of Agriculture to follow through on the federal government’s promise to end live horse export for slaughter.  

Petition e-4190 to help protect horses from suffering through long, stressful journeys to slaughter closed February 7, 2023. The petition has been presented to the House of Commons and is awaiting response. Please stay tuned for updates.

Read more about the e-petition

Most Canadians would be surprised to learn that Canada is one of the top exporters of live horses for slaughter. Every year, approximately 3,000-5,000 live draft horses are loaded onto planes, packed tightly with 3-4 horses per crate, and flown abroad where they will be slaughtered for meat.

Horses’ journeys to slaughter are long and stressful

  • Horses can be transported for up to 28 hours without access to food, water or rest.
  • As sensitive prey animals with strong fight or flight instincts, this journey can be incredibly stressful.
  • Deaths and injuries have occurred, including one known incident of damage to an aircraft, which led to an emergency landing and the death of the horse involved.
  • There is also no obligation for countries on the receiving end to report back to Canada about the condition of the horses upon arrival.

Canadians are calling for change

Polling shows that a majority of Canadians are opposed to the practice of exporting live horses for slaughter.

The VHS supports organizations including the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition and advocates, like singer-songwriter Jann Arden, who have long been calling for an end to live horse export for slaughter. In Spring 2021, the VHS signed a group letter calling on the federal government to end the practice.

A federal parliamentary e-petition garnered more than 77,000 public signatures in support of a ban, making it one of the most popular animal-related federal petitions on record.  

Despite promises, horses continue to suffer due to government inaction

In December 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau directed the Minister of Agriculture, Marie-Claude Bibeau, to ban the live export of horses for slaughter. One year later, horses continue to be shipped to their death as a result of government inaction.  

Can you help protect horses from suffering through long journeys to slaughter?

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 VHS’s op-ed, published in the Daily Hive, to raise awareness about this inhumane industry.
  • Read and share this article in CTV News, which includes an interview with Jann Arden and an in-depth video investigation which first aired in 2021.

Cover photo: Canadian Horse Defence Coalition

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Call for a ban on inhumane rodeo events in your community

Ask your newly-elected Mayor & Council to protect animals from concerning rodeo events

The return of the Chilliwack rodeo this year, along with a controversial new rodeo held in Langley Township, has raised concerns about the well-being of animals made to perform in rodeo events. Video footage taken at both rodeos this summer shows stressed and frightened animals being roughly handled and deliberately agitated into fleeing and bucking.

Take action
Watch video

Protect animals from inhumane rodeo events

Many communities have no protections preventing inherently inhumane rodeo practices. Now is the time to act to prevent animals from being used in cruel rodeo events!

During recent local elections in British Columbia, the VHS and advocates reached out to candidates on key animal welfare issues in their community, including the use of animals in inhumane rodeo events.

As local decision-makers move out of election season, now is an important time for residents to call for change. You can take action, whether you live in Langley Township, Chilliwack or elsewhere! Encourage your Mayor and Council to follow the lead of the City of Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver by passing a motion to prohibit inhumane rodeo practices, including roping, bucking, wrestling and mutton busting (children riding sheep) events.

Use this quick email tool to send a message to your newly-elected Mayor and Council. Note: If you live outside of Canada and want to take action, you can find your Mayor and Council’s contact information on your municipality’s website and use the template text for inspiration. 

Take Action: Email your Mayor & Council

Tip: Personalize your message to make it more impactful! The template below is editable, so feel free to share more about why this issue is important to you and alternative community events that you’d prefer to see more of.

Video from B.C. rodeos:

What happened at this year’s Chilliwack and Langley rodeos

The return of the Chilliwack rodeo this year, along with a controversial new rodeo held in Langley Township, has raised concerns about the well-being and welfare of animals made to perform in rodeo events. Video footage taken at both rodeos this summer shows stressed and frightened animals being roughly handled and deliberately agitated into fleeing and bucking.

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News/Blog

Open letter: B.C. Ministry of Agriculture to review farmed animal welfare framework

Update

This action has now ended. Thank you to the 4,381 advocates who used the quick action to call for meaningful actions for farmed animals. Please see the Current Campaigns page for more ways you can help farmed animals.

The Ministry of Agriculture will be doing a review of the farmed animal welfare framework between now and spring 2023, confirms a recent article in the Country Life in BC agricultural newspaper. The Vancouver Humane Society reached out to the Ministry calling for true public transparency on farms and changes that would make a meaningful difference in the lives of the millions of sentient animals raised for food in this province.

Read the Vancouver Humane Society’s open letter to the Ministry of Agriculture:

Oct. 26, 2022

Dear Minister Popham and the Ministry of Agriculture,

We are writing in reference to the article published in Country Life in BC (October 2022, vol. 108 no. 10) confirming that the Ministry will be doing a review of the farmed animal welfare framework between now and spring 2023. We are grateful that the Ministry of Agriculture is actively taking action to consider the lives of farmed animals.

The Vancouver Humane Society represents 36,800 supporters who are concerned about the state of animal welfare for farmed animals in British Columbia. Over the past 10 years, undercover footage filmed on farms raising cows for milk, cattle for beef, pigs for meat, chickens for meat, and hens for eggs, has demonstrated that these animals are in a dire state. From being plucked bare, legs being pulled off, animals being actively abused, stereotypical behaviour like bar-biting, untreated wounds, trampled animals, and inhumane euthanasia methods, animals are not given the consideration they deserve as sentient beings.

Since the publishing of Animal Machines by Ruth Harrison in 1964, there have been disturbingly few changes to address the suffering of farmed animals. Minister Popham, you previously advocated for animals and ending their suffering when serving as the opposition party. The Ministry of Agriculture has the unique ability to significantly reduce the suffering of millions of animals each year by introducing measures that ensure true public transparency. A focus on ‘public trust’, while making no measurable changes to the suffering of animals, is unconscionable, and yet has been the primary approach of the Ministry of Agriculture to date.

We ask for the Ministry of Agriculture to conduct a thorough review which considers the importance of transparency, specifically, one that recognizes the importance of conducting consistent farm audits and making publicly available the findings of the audits. This is the only mechanism that could ensure that there is transparency that results in meaningful outcomes for the animals affected. The Vancouver Humane Society also asks to be included in all stakeholder consultation related to the farmed animal review as an animal protection agency with a British Columbia focus that exists outside of the role of enforcement.

Thank you for your serious consideration of the suffering experienced by sentient farmed animals and of our request to be included as a stakeholder in the review process,

Amy Morris
Executive Director

More than 3,000 animal supporters have called on the Ministry of Agriculture to introduce greater protections for farmed animals, including third-party audits and video surveillance on farms. Will you join us? Learn more about the ongoing campaign below.

Help protect farmed animals

In December 2021, the VHS launched a campaign calling for greater protections for farmed animals in B.C. To date, more than 2,200 animal supporters have used the quick action tool to contact the Ministry of Agriculture calling for:

  • Government-mandated and proactively-enforced compliance with the National Farm Animal Care Council Codes of Practice
  • Publicly-available reports of independent, third party audits on farms
  • Consistent video surveillance monitoring on farms
  • Emergency planning to protect farmed animals in disasters
Take quick action

Please join us in calling on B.C.’s Premier and the Minister of Agriculture to take these important actions to better protect farmed animals from cruelty and suffering.

This action has now ended.

4,381 people used this tool to call for meaningful actions for farmed animals. Thank you for taking action.

See more campaigns