HUMANE TREATMENT OF HORSES A CANADIAN GOVERNMENT PIPE DREAM
Over the years, we have seen many statements from government representatives proclaiming that horses destined for slaughter must be treated humanely.
This is a typical excerpt from a form letter sent to a supporter by the Liberal government, echoing what was declared by the Conservatives before them: “Our government is committed to the humane treatment of horses in Canada. We take issues of animal welfare very seriously.”
But we have only to look beyond the rhetoric to see what really happens behind the scenes.
Access to Information files have once again revealed blatant, preventable cruelty to animals, packaged as reportable incidents by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Proof of a severely flawed system lurks in reports of numerous dead horses: the CFIA reports 17 deaths while horses were trailered or in holding barns, between January 1, 2018 and October 31, 2019.
