Horse Flight Violates Federal Regulations

The Health of Animals Regulations stipulate that time without food, water and rest must not exceed 28 hours for horses exported to Japan for slaughter. We know that even 28 hours of such deprivation is cruel, especially since the very nature of horses demands that these animals must be able to move freely and have access to food and water in order to meet base requirements for their well-being.

But once again, during a recent shipment, even the most rudimentary legal requirements were not met. Should we be surprised? Probably not. As we have seen, it is profit and greed – not animal welfare – that drives this callous industry.

January 22^nd, 2024

In the evening of January 21^st, 2024, ninety-nine horses were loaded on trailers and driven to the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport where they were loaded into wooden crates in preparation for a scheduled flight the following day to Japan, to be slaughtered for human consumption.

Access to Information documents describe the horses as crossbreds, having an average weight of 600 kg (1323 lbs.) and being young. Several were 30 months of age (born in July 2021), but most were just 20 – months old (born in May 2022).

Due to a flight delay, the horses were without food, water and rest for over 29 hours.

Timeline of Events

The horses were kept in isolation at the feedlot from December 7^th, 2023, to January 21^st, 2024. On December 11th, the horses were restrained using a tilting hydraulic chute system in order to collect blood samples and verify brand numbers. Influenza vaccines were administered by farm staff.

Another visit to the premises was made on January 19^th to inspect the horses in pre-embarkation isolation. A report indicated that the horses appeared healthy and that those who were lying down were “made to rise.”

The horses last had access to food and water at 5:15 p.m. on Sunday, January 21, 2024, when they began to be loaded on trailers at the feedlot.

At 10:45 p.m., word was received that the plane would be delayed by two hours. Korean Air Cargo flight number 9214 finally left the Winnipeg Airport at approximately 7:59 a.m. on Monday, January 22, 2024. The flight included a stopover at the Anchorage International Airport before continuing on to the Kansai International Airport in Japan. This meant the horses endured an additional landing and take-off, times when they often fall.

According to the Humane Transportation of Animals form provided, including flight time, the horses were without food, water, and rest for 29.5 hours. This is a clear violation of Health of Animals Regulations Part XII Section 152.2(1)(c).