A new bus shelter ad campaign across downtown Ottawa highlights the cruelty of Canada’s live horse export industry—and the concerning delays in the Senate that have stalled a bill to ban this practice.
Bill C-355, which would ban the export of Canadian horses to Japan for slaughter, has already passed the House of Commons. But for the past six months, this critical legislation has been delayed in the Senate, where Conservative Senators have a history of using delay tactics to stall animal welfare legislation. Sadly, time is running out for it to become law.
The bus shelter ads feature a photo of horses crammed into a tiny wooden crate at night at the Edmonton airport. The image is part of Animal Justice’s shocking investigation released this summer with Life Investigation Agency (LIA) in Japan, documenting the harrowing journey of the horses who are shipped to their deaths overseas to be violently slaughtered and eaten as raw sashimi—a delicacy for the wealthy.
Live Horse Exports Deadlier Than Ever Imagined
Every year, thousands of horses endure horrific conditions in Canada’s live horse export industry. Forced into cramped wooden crates, these terrified animals are loaded onto cargo planes in Edmonton and Winnipeg and flown overseas. The horses are denied food, water, and rest until they finally reach quarantine facilities in Japan. Legally, these shipments can take up to 28 gruelling hours—but our recent investigation in collaboration with LIA in Japan, shows the majority of these shipments go even longer.
In September, Animal Justice and LIA released another investigation, based on damning documents we obtained from Japanese authorities. According to their data, a shocking 21 horses died and over 50 were injured from these shipments between June 2023 and May 2024. Yet none of these instances were reported to the Canadian government.Â
During the study of Bill C-355 in the House of Commons, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency gave evidence that it was aware of only five horse deaths from these exports over the past 11 years—a gross underestimate. Conservative MPs claimed there had been no horse deaths during export for slaughter since 2014. Our findings reveal these flights are far more dangerous and deadly than previously understood.
Canadians Call for Ban on Live Horse Exports for Slaughter
Tens of thousands of Canadians across the country have signed petitions, contacted elected representatives, and protested to demand an end to this cruel and heartless industry.Â
This week, three Canadian actors, Kate Drummond, Rachael Ancheril, and Kristin Booth, collaborated with Animal Justice and Canadian Horse Defence Coalition in a new video, calling on Conservative senators to stop delaying this critical bill.
Time is of the essence—we must keep up the pressure! Please join us in urging the Senate to swiftly pass Bill C-355 to protect horses from this cruel industry.
