photos courtesy Vancouver Animal Defense
from Vancouver Animal Defense
On Friday evening, two of our activists locked themselves to the railing on the inside track at the GMC Rangeland Derby. They locked down in the race route in protest of the bloodsport. The police responded to the protest by covering the activists with the same black tarps that are used to cover dead horses.
The police then cut our activists locks and detained them.
For videos and photos see our media page.
In the past 28 years, more than 60 horses have been horrifically killed during chuckwagon races; horses avoided death in only 7 different years; and horses have been killed the last 9 years. As well, hundreds of animals are used and often injured or killed while training for these events. Terror, death and injury for animals are intrinsic to chuckwagon races. Rodeo officials and drivers claim that new rules make the sport humane and safe, yet horses continue to suffer and die. The Vancouver Animal Defense League is calling on the event to be banned.
Following the Stampede’s alleged improvements to the deadly chuckwagon races in 2011, two horses were killed in a 2011 Stampede chuckwagon race, three horses were killed and one horse was wounded in a 2012 chuckwagon race, and one horse collapsed and died right after the 2013 chuckwagon race, for a total of more than 60 chuckwagon-related horse deaths in 28 years. Furthermore, the person tasked with allegedly “auditing” animal welfare at the Stampede, Jennifer Woods, has been presented in media as an “independent animal welfare expert” and “veterinarian,” yet she is neither.
Ms. Woods, owner of J. Woods Livestock Services, receives compensation from the Calgary Stampede, as opposed to being an impartial third party; and she is not a D.V.M., i.e., Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, she has a master’s in veterinary preventative medicine, which pertains to the health of animal populations. Why won’t the Stampede consult an animal-welfare panel comprising experts who are (a) actual veterinarians; (b) not in the Stampede’s pocket? The Calgary Stampede’s alleged animal-welfare improvement program is PR spin.
Last year, Huey—an outrider horse—collapsed and died of a pulmonary hemorrhage. Driver Doug Irvine’s response to the death was utterly oblivious to Huey’s agonizing death: “His lungs filled up with blood, and he passed very quickly. That was the relieving thing, that he went fast and he didn’t suffer.” Huey did indeed suffer, and die, for entertainment.
GMC is the major sponsor of the Rangeland Derby. The Vancouver Animal Defense League calls on GMC to stop paying for a bloodsport that terrifies, maims and kills horses. We also call on the great many opponents of the derby to contact GMC and express their outrage:
http://www.facebook.com/GMCCanada
@GMCCanada
1-905-644-5000
