Posted on 2008-02-12

Dealing in Blood Money

Canada's Betrayal of Horses

Feb 12, 2008

Canadian Horse Defense Coalition representatives have been extremely busy in the field over the past several months. We have both good and bad news to share. As you read this, please remember that we cannot expect to see an end to horse slaughter without a huge fight from industry; those who profit from the suffering and untimely deaths of our companion animals are bound to be upset about potential loss of revenue. The more they fight, the more threatened they feel. And here's an additional thought as we proceed: a movement is only as strong as its most committed forces. YOU are part of that!

The Bad News: Sudden growth of horse slaughter in Canada

In 2007, the last U.S. equine slaughterhouse in Dekalb, Illinois, was forced to close its doors due to upholding of state legislation. Horses are therefore no longer being slaughtered in the United States. (That by itself is wonderful news!) However, since the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act has not yet been enacted (along with protective provisions that would ban transport for slaughter as well), horses have been moving south to Mexico and north to Canada en masse. In 2006, 50,242 horses were killed in Canadian abattoirs. In 2007, this figure rose to nearly 80,000. USDA statistics indicate that there has been a 46% increase in the numbers of horses exported to Canada from the U.S.: 18,901 in 2006 and 27,688 in 2007.

The horse killing industry in Canada has responded to U.S. slaughterhouse closures with a colossal effort to cash in. Canada is fast becoming the horse slaughter capital of the world, boasting seven slaughterhouses that are now licensed to kill horses. The ultimate betrayal of our equine companions is federally sanctioned in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec. The most recent addition to the list is Norval Meats at Proton Station, Ontario. Detailed information on individual slaughter plants can be found here (click on horses and then hit Submit).

The Good News: Bo Derek seeks protection for horses in Canada

On January 14, 2008, actress Bo Derek brought a crucial message to Vancouver, B.C.--that horses should not be slaughtered for human consumption. She expressed her concern about growing numbers of American horses now being transported to Canada for slaughter. "These same horses that we saved in one respect--a lot of them are ending up here and that only increases their suffering because the distances are further and the conditions that they are transported in are really horrendous," Ms. Derek stated. Written, radio and television coverage of this press conference and the issue of horse slaughter generally was extensive:

1. Vancouver Sun article
2. Vancouver Province (canada.com) article
3. AFP article
4. Saskatoon Star Phoenix article

In addition, eleven television news clips covering the press conference aired on January 14th and 15th. We are so very grateful to Bo for her compassion and commitment to this cause! With her assistance, the campaign to stop horse slaughter in Canada has officially been launched and the issue continues to be debated on radio talk shows and forums, delivering the message even further.

Bo Derek speaking at conference


Bo Derek with Rob Sinclair and Sinikka Crosland of the CHDC

For streaming video of television coverage of the event through Cision, click here. You can either choose to stream the video or to download it (links appear at the bottom of each video).

Call to Action!

Eyes Needed

Now with horse slaughter in the news, it is more important than ever to do what we can to expose the cruelty. Reported incidents from concerned Canadians are received by our Coalition every week. This brings home the fact that inhumanity to horses destined for slaughter is happening right now, every day! It is becoming increasingly clear that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is doing a poor job policing the transport of horses. We need eyes looking out for horses in our communties! Please be on the lookout for trucks carrying equines, and report to the police any animal welfare concerns you may witness. For instance, lame horses should not be loaded onto trailers (this happens consistently at auctions). Remind enforcement officials about subsection 138(2) of the Health of Animals Regulations (under authority of the Health of Animals Act), which states:

"...no person shall load or cause to be loaded and no one shall transport or cause to be transported an animal that by reason of infirmity, illness, injury, fatigue or any other cause cannot be transported without undue suffering during the expected journey...."

Undue suffering is a fact of life in the slaughter business, from auction to feedlot to abattoir! Please keep documented records and report all details of these incidents to the CHDC at: info@defendhorsescanada.org . Pictures or video footage of animal cruelty, if you can obtain it, helps to document the evidence. We'd be interested in knowing if the authorities will not respond to your complaints.

Legislative Support

More work needs to be done in the area of enlisting the support of Canadian Members of Parliament. Please make an appointment to meet with your MP as soon as possible in order to bring the concerns to his/her attention. Encourage your representative in Ottawa to support petitioning efforts to stop equine slaughter. Our horses need a Member of Parliament to put forth a private member's bill to stop horse slaughter (and transport for slaughter) in Canada.

You can use the following points to help illustrate why we are trying to stop the slaughter of horses for human consumption:

1. It is not possible for horse slaughter to be conducted humanely. Go here to view the evidence: Vets for Equine Welfare and Animals' Angels investigations (scroll down to Natural Valley and Richelieu investigations).
2. Transport for slaughter is not humane. Read about the concerns at Animals Angels (scroll down to Transport of American horses to Canada for slaughter).
3. Feedlot maintenance is not humane. Go here to find out why. Please use your power as a constituent to speak out for the horses! Find your Member of Parliament here.

The Hon. Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, also needs to hear about Canada's cruelty to horses. You'll find a feedback box to the minister here:
http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/min/index_e.php?s1=help-aide&s2=contact

For further information, please browse through our website. We have posted a petition and flyer.

Merchandise to Help the Horses

Beautiful 2008 For the Love of Horses calendars are still available, now for the reduced price of $10 (that includes shipping to any point in North America). Please view here: http://www.hurmuses.com/clients/horses
Save Our Horses from Slaughter license plate holders can be ordered for $7.00 apiece (includes shipping to Canadian destinations).

To order the above items, please send an e-mail to info@defendhorsescanada.org

Join our Discussion Forum!

Abolish Horse Slaughter Canada is vibrant with horse defenders sharing information and strategies. You are invited to join the discussions if you're not there already!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/abolishhorseslaughtercanada/

Yours in the good fight,
Shelley Grainger, Eastern Region Director
Twyla Francois, Central Region Director
Yvonne Allen, Western Region Director
Rob Sinclair, Campaign Director
Sinikka Crosland, Executive Director
Ray Kellosalmi, M.D., Advisor to the Board
Canadian Horse Defense Coalition
P.O. Box 26097
Westbank, B.C.
V4T 2G3
Ph/fax: 250-768-4803
info@defendhorsescanada.org

"Help us lead Canada's horses away from barbarism . .
and into the protected pastures of a civilized nation."