This disappointing response highlights the flaws in Canada’s animal transport laws, which are some of the worst in the industrialized world.
Even Canada’s meagre animal transport laws are clear that workers should not beat or strike animals when unloading them from trucks, and that animals should not be handled in a way that is likely to cause suffering or injury.
Animal Justice submitted an animal cruelty complaint to the Canadian
Food Inspection Agency (“CFIA”) and Animal Protection Services of
Saskatchewan based on
shocking footage taken by local animal protection
advocates with Regina Animal Save on October 24, 2021. The footage
was taken outside of the Thunder Creek Pork slaughterhouse in Moose
Jaw, Saskatchewan. In our
complaint, Animal Justice requested that the CFIA and
provincial enforcement officials investigate the incident and take
action to prevent cruel and aggressive handling of pigs at this
facility in the future.
Despite the footage clearly showing a worker violently striking pigs
in a transport vehicle with a paddle, striking at least one animal
directly on their face, the CFIA has refused to take any enforcement
action and has refused to confirm whether the Thunder Creek
slaughterhouse was required to implement any corrective measures.
This disappointing response highlights the flaws in Canada’s animal
transport laws, which are some of the worst in the industrialized
world.
In its November 4, 2021
response to the complaint, the CFIA stated that because
pigs in the vehicle would have had “a path for exiting” when they
were being “prodded”, and no one at the slaughterhouse noticed any
injuries before the pigs were killed, it would not take enforcement
action. The CFIA also noted that the “blow to the snout” of the pig
shown in the video was not intentional and was unlikely to cause
injury, though it is unclear how the Agency reached this conclusion
in light of the video evidence.
For its part, shortly after the footage was released and began
circulating on social media, the Thunder Creek slaughterhouse put up
a new tarp on the fences surrounding its unloading area in an
apparent effort to prevent members of the public from witnessing or
documenting the treatment of pigs. This response speaks volumes
about the industry’s desire to hide animal abuse rather than address
it.
Even Canada’s
meagre animal transport laws are clear that workers
should not beat or strike animals when unloading them from trucks,
and that animals should not be handled in a way that is likely to
cause suffering or injury. Transport is an incredibly stressful
process for animals, leaving them at risk of injury and even death,
making consistent enforcement of transport laws and standards
particularly important. Animal Justice will continue to push for the
CFIA to take enforcement action to address this incident and prevent
similar treatment of pigs at the Thunder Creek slaughterhouse in the
future.