The bill to ban live horse exports (Bill C-355) has hit a roadblock. With Parliament prorogued (paused) until March and a possible election on the horizon, thousands of horses remain at risk. But there’s hope – we have one more chance to end this cruel practice before the election.
There’s still a way to stop this
The Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food has the power to end this practice through regulation – new legislation is not required. But he needs to hear from you to understand that Canadians won’t stand for this cruelty any longer.
Your voice matters
By sending a letter, you can help:
- Save thousands of horses from suffering
- Show overwhelming public opposition to live export
- Push the Minister to take immediate action
- Create lasting change for animal welfare in Canada
Take action now
Don’t let bureaucratic delays sentence more horses to export. Sign below to demand the Minister use regulatory power to end live horse export. Your signature could be the one that saves these gentle horses from suffering.
Previous update: December 16, 2024
Further records obtained by Animal Justice reveal another horse died after suffering injuries during an overseas flight in June of 2024. Another flight, which likely exceeded the 28-hour legal limit, caused two other horses to collapse on route. None of these incidents in this most recent data appear to have been reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
December marked the three-year anniversary of the Minister of Agriculture’s mandate letter from the Prime Minister to ban the live export of horses for slaughter. Three years have already passed, yet Bill C-355 to ban this practice is still stalled in the Senate.
Original story: October 21, 2024
While the Senate was on a summer break, two new reports revealed shocking information about the conditions that Canadian horses are enduring on the journey to become luxury food overseas. The time to ban live horse export for slaughter is now.
In June, an Animal Justice report (PDF) found that horses were in transport for longer than the legal limit, which is already 28 hours without feed, water, or rest.
Another Animal Justice report (PDF) in September found that between June 2023 and May 2024, 21 horses died during transport. As these deaths were not reported to the CFIA, previous statements about the extremely low death rate are inaccurate and unreliable. Additional injuries and illnesses, including salmonella, wounds, diarrhea, falls, eye injuries, and leg injuries, were also reported.
Please contact the Senate today and urge them to immediately pass Bill C-355 to ban the live export of horses for slaughter overseas. Your hard work has gotten the bill this far, and we need you to take action again to ensure it passes before Parliament ends before the next Federal election.
Across the country, thousands of Canadians continue to speak out against this practice. In an April 2024 national poll*, only 22% of Canadians disagree with ending the export of live horses. Specifically, 78% of Albertans, one of the provinces that exports horses to Japan, no longer want horses from their province shipped overseas. Among Indigenous people in Canada, 71% agree that this practice should be banned.
Learn more about live horse export
*ResearchCo. poll conducted for the BC SPCA April 3-5, 2024 (n=1,000, margin of error +/-3.1%, 19 times out of 20)