The Suffering of Horses Caught Up In The Slaughter Pipelines Continues January 2025 Over the years, the CHDC has shared countless pages of documentation that demonstrate the heartless and brutal disregard for the welfare of horses once they have entered the “slaughter pipeline”. Little has changed in that regard. Newly obtained records reveal three instances ..read more

January 11, 2025 On January 6, 2025 members of Canadian Horse Defence Coalition attended the Bouvry Exports Calgary Ltd. trial in Fort Macleod, Alberta. Court began at 10:00 a.m. so we were prepared to spend the day and perhaps the next since the trial was scheduled for two weeks. However, it was over in less ..read more

January 7, 2025 Parliament is prorogued until March 24, 2025, which means that Bill C-355 has ceased to exist and won’t return unless reintroduced. We are very, very disappointed with this outcome and realize the fragility of Private Members’ Bills, which must go through an onerous process (most don’t become law) and are dependent on ..read more

It doesn’t take a huge moral compass to understand that Canada’s responsibility to our exported horses should not end when they leave Canadian soil. Yet currently our country wants to wipe its hands of the matter, endorsing air shipments of horses to Japan without a care about their welfare when they reach the other end:  ..read more

Photo obtained through Access to Information December 2024 The third horse slaughter quarterly report for 2024 has been released by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, covering the January to September time period. It is troubling to see that the number of horses exported for slaughter from Canada to Japan and the number of horses imported for ..read more

October 19, 2024 Bill C-355, an act to stop the export of live horses by air for slaughter, passed in the House of Commons earlier this year. Thanks to horse protection advocates like you, our Members of Parliament recognized the importance of eliminating this cruel trade and worked to ensure the Bill’s swift passage through ..read more

Photo obtained through Access to Information Canadian Horse Exports for Slaughter and US Horses Imported For Slaughter Numbers Rise Even with Bill C-355 having woven its way through the House of Commons to land in the hands of the Senate, and the government showing a clear interest in ending the live exports of horses for ..read more

“It Takes a Community” is a must-read if you are interested in helping horses by starting a rescue organization or a sanctuary, or even if you are a seasoned horse rescue operator. Many thanks to Shelley Grainger for creating this important document!  IT TAKES A COMMUNITY Helping Ensure Success for Horse Rescues OVERVIEW Do you run an equine rescue or sanctuary in Canada? Are you considering starting one? This document provides suggestions for new or existing rescues, ideas for organizing initiatives and provides fund-raising recommendations to help build for success. STARTING A HORSE RE ..read more

April 24 The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) is presently working to update the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Equines and a survey is being conducted to learn about top-of-mind welfare concerns from stakeholders. The Codes of Practice are national developed guidelines for the care and handling of equines.   Don’t miss this opportunity to share your ideas, thoughts and concerns. Please be polite; submissions that include profanity or derogatory language will not be considered. The survey can be found here and remains open until May 16, 2024 ..read more

A soul-stirring poem by Equestrian poet Peter Hurst, from the perspective of a horse being shipped for slaughter. The Silent Horse.  I was raised on a farm, where I thought people cared,  for the reason, to be slaughtered, that a family shared. I was fed and raised, for this purpose in mind, the price, of my body, being already consigned. The trust I had was betrayed by all, My life being decided by a government call. My journey began under a nighttime sky, horses crowded together, each, wondering why. Arriving at a destination, with no grass or trees, a place of noise, and confusio ..read more