Canadian icon and multi-platinum artist Jann Arden, and numerous celebrity signatories including Chantal Kreviazuk, Elisha Cuthbert, and Queen’s Brian May, have written a letter urging the Senate to swiftly pass Bill C-355. This important bill to ban live horse exports to Japan for slaughter has been stalled for over six months—and time is running out for it to pass.
This powerful letter has additional support from the Canadian acting community, including stars in shows like Star Trek: Discovery, The Handmaid’s Tale, Workin’ Moms, and Heartland.
More than 20 veterinary and animal welfare experts, and more than a dozen animal advocacy organizations, including Animal Justice, have also signed the letter. The bill is being delayed by a handful of senators and has seen little progress in the Senate since May—despite relentless advocacy from animal protection groups, shocking investigations exposing illegal suffering, and tens of thousands of Canadians writing to lawmakers to end this cruel practice once and for all.
Cruelty in Canada’s Live Horse Export Trade
Every year, Canada ships thousands of horses from airports in Edmonton and Winnipeg in cargo planes to Japan, where they are killed and eaten as a raw delicacy.
These journeys are terrifying and incredibly taxing. Horses are crammed into tiny wooden crates, and are denied food, water and rest until they reach quarantine facilities overseas. Death and injuries are incredibly common.
This year, Animal Justice conducted two investigations with Japan-based Life Investigation Agency. We uncovered that most of these brutal shipments exceed the already gruelling 28-hour time limit for travel. To make matters worse, our second investigation showed that between June 2023 and May 2024 alone, at least 21 horses died from these shipments, and over 50 horses were injured. Yet none of these incidents were reported to the Canadian government.
Despite these shocking findings, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has refused to halt these abusive exports.
The governing Liberals promised to outlaw this practice long ago during their 2021 election campaign. With a looming election in 2025, it’s essential for Bill C-355 to pass quickly or the legislation will be wiped when the election is called. Please join us in urging lawmakers to say neigh to delay and ban live horse exports for slaughter now!
Banner: Bill Ingalls, Kushal Das, Crisco 1492, RedCarpetReport, Tezster | Wikimedia Commons, & Life Investigation Agency
