e-3187 (Animals)

Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled

• Large draft horses over 17 hands high are air-shipped annually from Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg airports to Japan for human consumption;
• Three to four horses are loaded into crates smaller than a single horse stall;
• Numerous horses in these crates lack sufficient head clearance, with ears protruding through crate roofs;
• Flights are 10.5 to 13.5 hours long, with additional hours spent for ground transportation and the loading and unloading process;
• During this time, horses have no access to food, water or rest;
• Deaths and injuries occur on these flights, as well as broken crates and one known incident of damage to aircraft fuselage;
• Horses air-shipped to Japan for human consumption are usually purpose-bred in Canada;
• Their well-being can be compromised due to lack of veterinary and farrier care and withholding of drugs prohibited from the human food chain;
• Scientific evidence shows that horses suffer physically and psychologically during long-distance transport and during loading and unloading;
• Canadian animal welfare laws have no jurisdiction over the treatment of these horses when they reach Japan;
• A 2019 Nanos poll revealed that 69% of Canadian respondents are opposed to the slaughter of horses for human consumption; and
• Public awareness about this issue is increasing, with media interest and celebrity involvement.