Star power added to boost petition prohibiting horse exports

A petition trying to prohibit what many say is the cruel treatment of horses as they’re transported to Japan has some major star power behind it. 

Bryan Adams, Chantal Kreviazuk, Jann Arden, and Elisha Cuthbert; are just some of the big names who have written to the Senate in support of Bill C-355, the Prohibition of the Export of Horses by Air for Slaughter Act, advocates saying the animals are essentially tortured as they travel.

“We already know that tens of thousands of Canadians have written to the Senate asking them to pass this bill,” said Kaitlyn Mitchell, director of legal advocacy with Animal Justice, saying she hopes the celebrity support will help push the bill forward, saying right now, it’s being held up. 

“Every week that passes makes it less and less likely that the bill will pass into law, and I think Canadians should be quite upset about that,” said Mitchell, stressing the delay is preventing an election promise from coming to fruition. 

For some of the Senators who are delaying the Bill, like Senator Robert Black of Ontario, he says agriculture producers’ bottom line line is a big reason he’s questioning the legislation, saying in debate 

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Animal welfare advocated bring charge against live-horse exporter from Manitoba

In what could be a milestone moment for the protection of farmed animals in Canada, a Winnipeg court has given animal welfare advocates the go-ahead to privately prosecute a live-horse exporter from Manitoba. Kurt Black reports

“This is a $20-million business annually in Canada,” he said in November. “What do we tell our producers that farm horses if we say they can’t farm horses anymore? This is their livelihood. How do we explain that?”

The legislation has already made its way through the House of Commons and Mitchell feels senators, who are unelected, shouldn’t be standing in the way. 

“Opponents of this bill and anyone who is trying to delay it, and ultimately kill it, I think they’re on the wrong side of history, and it’s my hope that senators will work together, put their differences aside and make sure this bill goes to committee study as soon as possible.” 

Thousands of horses are shipped to Japan every year and advocates say the conditions they’re subjected to are cruel and should be prohibited, as the animals can become stressed, scared, dehydrated and can be injured in a variety of other ways. 

For example, citing Government of Japan numbers, between June 2023 and May 2024 alone, at least 21 horses exported for slaughter died during transport and at least 50 others were injured or became seriously ill during transport, with experts and advocacy groups across the country calling for the practice to cease immediately. 

“This data is absolutely shocking,” said Mitchell, claiming none of the deaths or injuries have been properly reported to Canadian officials, saying while there’s talk of improved reporting and record taking, she doubts it will go far enough. 

“The real question here is: ‘How are we going to make sure horses are not suffering on these planes, and they’re not dying and becoming injured on these planes?’ And besides banning the industry through this bill, we really don’t have an answer.”