CANADIAN GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT ALARMINGLY DEFICIENT:
2018 CFIA Audits Reveal Flagrant Violations of Horse Transport and Slaughter Procedures
For over fifteen years, the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition has attempted to illustrate the cruelty and sometimes criminality of the horse slaughter industry through numerous reports, investigations and videos – all of which can be found on our web site and youtube channel.
When the 2018 audits became available, we were dismayed to note that during this time little has changed.
The 2018 Audits were obtained through Canada’s Access to Information and a large amount of the information was redacted to protect the industry and third party involvement.
However, what wasn’t redacted was enough to conclude that no matter how the Canadian government attempts to tweak the rules and regulations in order to placate industry partners and shareholders, the same concerns spanning well over a decade and a half are still apparent.
The old adage ‘the more things change, the more they remain the same’ appears to be the mantra of our regulating bodies.
The documents include the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s audits of federally inspected horse slaughter plants in Canada from January 1 to December 31, 2018. Records from establishment 506 Bouvry Exports Calgary Ltd., Fort Mcleod, Alberta and establishment 076 Viande Richelieu, Massueville, Quebec were provided and included Corrective Action Requests (CARs), Inspection Reports, Humane Transportation of Animals forms, Verification Reports, Worksheets and others, along with a number of photos.
They show:
- Transporters’ ignorance that there are regulations in place when conveying a load of horses from one place to another despite similar regulations being in effect since 1977.
- Controversy regarding the Equine Information Documents including falsification by shippers and lack of enforcement by slaughter plant personnel allowing drugged horse meat to enter the food chain.
- Insufficient controls and testing protocols with respect to drug testing.
- Compromised horses still being shipped including horses unable to stand on all four legs and diseased horses also being shipped.
- Insufficient controls in the slaughter plants’ meat preparation areas contrary to Canada’s Meat Inspection Regulations including contamination from horse feces, urine and blood and human spit.
Read the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition summary of the 2018 CFIA documents obtained through Access To Information (ATI) Act by going here.
