Towards Freedom

The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition was founded in 2004 for the sole purpose of ending the horrific practice of horse slaughter in Canada and the export of live horses for the same purpose. As a committed vegan, I am opposed to the exploitation of any living being, so it was after a great deal of thought that I decided to develop a campaign to specifically help the horse. There were several reasons for my decision. One, I had been involved in the rescue of PMU (Pregnant Mare Urine) foals since 1997 and had horses of my own. These animals had touched my heart simply because I spent a lot of time observing their ways and trying to learn their language. They had impressed me as being intelligent, intuitive, and loyal. I could tell many stories about how wonderful they are, but one easily illustrates the depth and sensitivity of horses:

[Editor's introduction: Below is the tribute written by Twyla Francois, received June 20 2008, after the intensive media coverage that followed from the Canadian Horse Defense Coalition's 2008 Horse Slaughter Investigation. It is a reminder that there is still much to do … and that there actually exist those who are willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause.]

I hope you'll all indulge me for a minute but I can't help seeing all this media success as a partial tribute to Beth, Sarah, Emily, Jonathan Livingston, Aaron and all the other nameless animals who've died without governmental recognition.