CHDC FAQ

CHDC FAQ

Q: What will happen to all of the displaced horses when horse slaughter and the export of horses for slaughter ends? Won’t the country be overrun with homeless horses?
 
A: The Canadian government has committed to ending the exports of live horses by air for slaughter and a Private Member’s bill and a Senate bill are on the table to achieve this. These horses are purpose-bred in Canada (and to some extent in the U.S.) for this industry, so ending live exports for slaughter will mean that breeding for that purpose will automatically stop.
Canada has only two family-owned facilities left where horses are slaughtered, and their meat is exported to countries of Europe and Asia. Many of these horses are not purpose-bred but enter the slaughter pipeline from various directions. Some are even imported from the U.S. for slaughter. It is estimated that approximately 15-25,000 horses die in these two Canadian slaughterhouses annually. This figure, however, is considerably lower than a decade or two ago, when the yearly numbers had soared to around 80-100,000. So we are talking about ending a much smaller industry than existed years ago. Less than 7000 horses destined for slaughter entered Canada from the U.S. in 2020. This figure, too, is far less than in previous years.
A large part of the responsibility for horse slaughter lies with the government, which already spends millions of dollars supporting industries that feed the slaughter pipeline. Industries like racing and breeding of quarter horses, for example, profit from government support. People involved in these industries will be forced to breed responsibly when horse slaughter is ended, because the auction/slaughter options will no longer exist for “spent” racehorses and so-called culls from breeding operations. Fewer horses being bred will mean good homes for the horses who are already living. 
There are growing numbers of horse rescue facilities in Canada. If horse slaughter were to end tomorrow, these animals could be sold, adopted out, given to rescue centres, kept on-farm until homes were found or, as a last resort, humanely euthanized by a veterinarian. Organizations such as the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition and Marie Dean Horse Protection Initiatives Canada are already assisting horse owners and rescue facilities with the high cost of feed, veterinary care, and other essentials. These organizations, along with a network of humane groups and rescue groups, are on standby to help. In recent years, the exemplary public awareness work of renowned singer/songwriter Jann Arden has resulted in a steady stream of funds toward the protection of horses, via public donations and sales of merchandise (https://horseshit.ca/).
Slaughter is not humane euthanasia. It is a death wrought with pain, fear, panic and suffering. There is every reason to end equine slaughter without delay.
Q: Bill C-355 aims to stop the air transport of horses for slaughter. Wouldn’t the bill be more effective if “by air” had not been specified, and all ground transport to slaughter would be included in the ban? If the U.S. were to start shipping horses by air cargo for overseas slaughter, would that not open the door for Canadian horses and put them at risk for slaughter in Japan anyway?
 
A: The domestic slaughter of horses and their export to other countries for the same purpose, by ground transportation, is a huge concern and in an ideal world would have been included. However, it has been our experience that if we ask for too much from the government, we risk getting none of it. Small steps are sometimes more effective in achieving our goals because there is less risk of industry convincing our leaders that the steps being taken are too drastic and unfair. 
Achieving an end to the air shipment of horses to slaughter should not be considered a small feat, however. It is a huge victory in the sense that the bar for horses has been effectively raised and the government has become more aware of the importance of animal welfare to Canadians. When Bill C-355 becomes law, CHDC and other like-minded organizations will continue to defend horses from slaughter and their export for the same purpose – by any means of transport.
Our colleagues south of the border are working diligently on getting the SAFE (Save America’s Forgotten Equines) Act passed, and that would prohibit horse slaughter nationally as well as exports for slaughter. Some individual states also have legislation in place prohibiting horse slaughter.  If/when the SAFE Act becomes legislation, it would be a safety net for Canadian horses. 

Q: Why do you advocate for horses only? Why not all animals?Are other animals not as important?

A: All animals matter. However, we have limited resources and we see horses as a critical step to improving welfare for ALL animals. Horses are in the unique position of being both a companion animal and, for some, a so-called food animal. This is why we consider them to be pivotal – an important link between the two entities. If society and our lawmakers can agree that we shouldn’t slaughter and eat horses, then logically the next step will be to examine the welfare of all animals used for food. To many, horses are as dear to the human heart as are dogs and cats, and the majority of people in our country do not agree with the thought of eating our companions.
There are additional vital reasons why our current focus is on horses. As an extreme “flight” animal, the horse is very difficult to slaughter humanely. Horses panic in the stun box – rearing, slipping, falling – because they are fighting for their lives. Their long, mobile necks permit them to swing their heads away from an impending threat. When observing Canadian equine slaughterhouse video, we saw one large draft horse being stunned 11 times before insensibility was achieved. It is not uncommon for horses to suffer numerous mis-hits before being adequately stunned.
Horses as so-called “food” animals are not regulated in the manner that other livestock animals are. Drugs toxic to humans are commonly administered to horses and, although these powerful drugs are regulated, health authorities have chosen not to act. With increasing pressure from the public in this area, they will be forced to acknowledge that most horses have not been raised as livestock animals and that eating their flesh is not a safe practice. This could help to achieve an end to the slaughter of horses in Canada.
Aside from the prevalence of toxic drugs administered to horses, there is a general lack of regulatory oversight in the industry. Cruelty concerns abound in feedlots, slaughterhouses, and in transport– and most of it goes unreported. Audits and animal welfare checks associated with the horse slaughter industry are minimal.