SOCIAL MEDIA WRONGLY BLAMING PM TRUDEAU Recently on social media, we’ve noticed some advocates blaming Prime Minister Trudeau for the ongoing export of horses from Canada to Japan and other markets for the purpose of slaughter. We are thankful that Prime Minister...
JESSICA SCOTT REID
THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: OPINON
Recently on social media, we’ve noticed some advocates blaming Prime Minister Trudeau for the ongoing export of horses from Canada to Japan and other markets for the purpose of slaughter.
We are thankful that Prime Minister Trudeau and other Liberal MPs including MP Leah Taylor-Roy brought forward Bill C-355 – a bill to ban the export of horses by air for the purpose of slaughter.
Actually, that’s an understatement. We can not adequately express our thanks to all who were instrumental in bringing the bill forward and all who advocated for it – including Jann Arden & EVERY single Liberal MP – every last one voted in favour of the bill passing.
We are far less impressed with Conservatives who fought tooth and nail for this bill to NOT pass and who unanimously voted against it passing.
Yes, really, you can check the voting stats here.
Despite the fight Conservatives put up the Bill is now in the hands of the Senate and will be discussed further and voted on this fall.
In the meantime, what can we each do?
Reach out to Senators, if you are a Canadian citizen, every Senator represents you. SCROLL DOWN for a CALL TO ACTION.
You have the right to speak up and demand that they pay attention to what YOU want.
Horses face harrowing journey to Japan
By: Jessica Scott-Reid
Posted: 2:01 AM CDT Saturday, Jul. 13, 2024
Canada is still exporting live horses to be killed and eaten in Japan.
Years after the Liberal government promised to put an end to the cruel industry, (PLEASE SEE OUR NOTE ABOVE) horses packed into crates continue to be flown from airports in Winnipeg and Edmonton, all the way to Alaska, then on to Japan, without any relief along the way. And if that wasn’t bad enough, a new investigation — a first of its kind from on the ground in Japan — is now revealing that the gruelling travel conditions these animals are forced to endure are even worse than we thought. Advocates are now calling on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to halt these shipments, as travel times routinely exceed legal limits.
Canadian animal law organization Animal Justice, along with Japanese animal protection group Life Investigation Agency, tracked four shipments of horses leaving Edmonton this past May and June, for Kansai and Kitakyushu airports in Japan. Canadian law prohibits transporting horses for over 28 hours without food, water and rest. “Yet official time records kept by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency generally end when the horses touch down in Japan, failing to account for the rest of the horses’ harrowing journey,” says Animal Justice in a statement.
Footage gathered in Japan shows horses being made to suffer through lengthy waits post-flight before being transported to a nearby quarantine facility. Total times from landing to reaching the feedlot ranged from four hours 20 minutes to an excessive 6.5 hours, delaying essential food, water and rest.
Upon further analysis of government records, Animal Justice, with the help of the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition, also determined “that all shipments from Winnipeg to Kitakyushu and Kansai airports over the last seven months appear to have gone over the 28-hour limit.”
When the horses do finally arrive in Japan, some were “visibly shaking with fear,” says Ren Yabuki, director of Life Investigation Agency, in the statement. “Horses were sprayed with disinfectant and workers forcefully unloaded them from trucks, yelling at them and banging metal rods.”
Danae Tonge, an organizer with Manitoba Animal Save, has witnessed first-hand horses being loaded up for export at Winnipeg’s Richardson International Airport.
“It’s horrifying,” she says, now knowing what awaits them when they land.
She says the process of getting horses off trucks, into crates and onto planes in Winnipeg takes a long time, hours, before they even take off.
“I’ve documented times when the horses arrive (at the airport) around 10 o’clock at night, then are unloaded, crated and then the flight doesn’t leave until five o’clock in the morning,” she says. “It’s shocking to now know how much worse it is, how much longer the journey is, and that every Winnipeg shipment is essentially breaking the law,” she says.
“It’s heartbreaking,” echoes Kaitlyn Mitchell, a lawyer with Animal Justice, who has joined Tonge in the past to document horses at the airport. “The vast majority of Winnipeggers and Canadians of all political stripes want to see this horrific practice end now,” she adds. “Any delay on the part of the CFIA will enable this industry to continue violating the law with impunity, and doom even more horses to suffer.”
Ater years of waiting on the Liberal government to fulfil its election promise to end the export of live horses for slaughter, advocates are now turning to the CFIA.
“We are urging the CFIA to look into this troubling situation and halt all horse exports for slaughter until the industry can guarantee that the shipments will comply with Canadian animal transport laws,” says Animal Justice.
While Bill C-355, an act to ban exporting horses by air for slaughter, currently sits before the Senate, it won’t be revisited until the fall as the Senate is now in recess. In the meantime, horses continue to be exported.
In an email to the Manitoba Co-operator, the CFIA reportedly states it is reviewing information provided by Animal Justice “and any followup activities will be in accordance with the agency’s compliance and enforcement policy.”
For advocates, this isn’t enough. More shipments of horses are expected over the summer.
“We need this to end,” says Mitchell.
“Now.”
Jessica Scott-Reid is a Winnipeg journalist and animal advocate. She is also on the board of directors of the Winnipeg Humane Society.
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NOT SURE WHAT TO SAY?
We've got you covered - and it does NOT have to be fancy.
Please join us in emailing, phoning and writing as many as possible.
I want you to know that I am in favour of Bill C-355 the Prohibition of the Export of Horses by Air for Slaughter Act. Thank you for your commitment to and support of this bill.
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PLEASE be sure to include your full name, your street/community/postal code and phone number.
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P.S. If you are worried about calling because you think you don't know enough to explain your reasons why, you can always call after hours and leave a message. Phoning is powerful.
T-SHIRTS IN SUPPORT OF HORSE RESCUE FUND
LIMITED TIME OFFER FREE SHIPPING CANADA & USA
CANADA SLAUGHTERS HORSES FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
It may be hard for some to believe that tens of thousands of horses, including pets, are routinely slaughtered in Canada, for human consumption.
Some of the meat is consumed in Canada and much of it is shipped to the European Union and other markets, including Japan.
The barbaric slaughter of horses is currently not legal in the United States, BUT horses, including pets and ex-racehorses, from the United States are shipped to Canada and to Mexico to be slaughtered.
In addition Canada allows for the transportation of live horses to Japan, to be slaughtered for human consumption, and unfortunately the transportation of horses destined for slaughter within Canada, and by air, is far from humane.
CONSERVATIVES IN FAVOUR OF HORSE SLAUGHTER
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JESSICA SCOTT REID
THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: OPINON Recently on social media, we’ve noticed some advocates blaming Prime Minister Trudeau for the ongoing export of horses from Canada to Japan and other markets for the purpose of slaughter. We are thankful that Prime Minister Trudeau and...
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