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Current Issues
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Horses must be humanly treated throughout their life time, it is the law in Canada and it is strictly enforced. This includes horses going to federal meat plants. Due to animal rights actions horse meat plants in the US have closed, this has resulted in significant animal welfare problem in the US.
Key points for the humane treatment for horses in Canada
- Canada has very strict humane handling laws for livestock transport and at meat plants. We have strong contingent of Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) veterinarians and inspectors that are there for the animals. Any deviations from our high standards of expected humane care are dealt with swiftly and with substantive fines.
- By law, only fit animals can be loaded for transport. The transportation of horses is enforced by CFIA inspectors located at the Canadian border, auction markets and at federal meat plants. They also do random inspections.
- By law, all livestock must receive a humane death. Euthanizing horses at a federally inspected meat plants provides a humane way to end a horse’s life. Allowing the horse to continue a life of discomfort and pain, inadequate care or abandonment is completely unacceptable.
- We have strict provincial animal protection laws that are enforced in most provinces by provincial SPCA agencies or veterinarians. Livestock are not exempt, unlike many animal protection laws in the US. (This is a key point)
- All horses transported to an abattoir must be:
- Treated humanely and with dignity;
- Transported to the production facility according to current national regulations (single deck trailers).
- The horse industries in Alberta and Saskatchewan support the proposed CFIA ban on transporting horses in double decker trailers.
- Those opposing the humane euthanasia of horses at federally inspected meat plants refuse to accept the undue suffering they have imposed on horses.
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Humane Handling Guidelines for HORSES