Thank you to everyone who fought against cruelty at the Luxton rodeo

The campaign against animal cruelty at the Luxton rodeo in Langford, B.C. has gained an unstoppable momentum thanks to the support of compassionate citizens

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Many people on Vancouver Island and across B.C. supported the campaign against cruel rodeo events in Langford, near Victoria.  VHS would like to thank everyone who supported this effort.

VHS partnered with Victoria Citizens Against Rodeo Events (VCARE) and had the support of the BC SPCA, ensuring a strong message was sent to the rodeo, its sponsors, the public and Langford City Council.  We also gained some celebrity support from Island native Pamela Anderson, who tweeted her opposition to rodeo cruelty.

We reached many thousands of people with our message, using news media, social media and advertising (including a powerful full-page VHS ad in the Victoria Times-Colonist). VCARE campaigned hard locally and organized protests during the rodeo, attracting more media attention and getting further support.

Many hundreds of people sent emails and letters, signed petitions, attended demonstrations and used social media to voice their concerns for rodeo animals.

As a result, ten local businesses dropped their sponsorship of the rodeo and Langford City Council finally agreed to hear a presentation from VCARE organizer (and nearby Colwood resident) Melissa de Meulles, which called on the council to enact a bylaw banning cruel rodeo events.

The message has been heard and it is only a matter of time before compassion triumphs over cruelty.

VHS plans to keep campaigning on this issue.  We hope we can count on your support as we continue to fight for rodeo animals, who are subjected to pain, fear and stress for the sake of entertainment.

Again, thank you to all the compassionate people who helped us speak on behalf of these vulnerable animals.