Demand better transportation rules for farm animals
I suspect that few people ever think about the living conditions of the animals that become their food. The sale of meat, milk and eggs is big business and industry has a vested interest in the public remaining unaware and silent to what goes on so we don’t demand more costly humane practices.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible to set the regulations for the care, transport, and slaughter of all food animals in Canada. Shamefully, Canada’s current transport regulations for animals are “considered the worst in the developed world!”
Cattle are allowed to be in transit for 52 hours without food, water, or rest; while chickens and pigs can be in transit for 36 hours without food, water or a rest stop; on top of that a five hour fast is allowed prior to transport! Think about that: no food, no water, no rest breaks and immense stress for nearly 2.5 days! Furthermore, there is no minimum temperature below which it is illegal to transport animals.
Annually, about 14 million animals suffer during transport in Canada with over 10 per cent arriving dead to their destination. That’s right, every year between two and three million farm animals die while being transported due to overcrowding, extreme temperatures, lack of ventilation and the stress of dehydration, hunger and sparse to non-existent rest breaks during transport.
The CFIA is currently amending it’s animal transportation regulations after 39 years, however, research clearly shows that animals suffer long before the maximum food, water and rest times deemed OK in the proposed new regulations. Please speak up for the animals whose lives give life to you and your family. Your input matters!
1) Alistair MacGregor
MP Cowichan
alistair.macgregor@parl.gc.ca
2) Dr. Cornelius Kiley, National Manager
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Animaltransportanimaux@inspection.gc.ca
3) Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay
lawrence.macaulay@parl.gc.ca
Write and demand:
-Strong and effective penalties and roadside checks to ensure humane treatment
-The availability of food and water for trips over eight hours
-Specialized animal-specific training for livestock handlers
-Putting in place rules to protect animals from Canada’s weather extremes
-Limiting the time a farmed animal can be kept on a truck without food, water or rest to no more
than eight hours.
Dr. Brenda Bernhardt
Lake Cowichan