By Richard Cuthbertson, Calgary Herald
Canadian Horse Defence Coalition’s Report has Stirred the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Authorities, including the RCMP, are investigating allegations launched by an animal welfare group accusing a Fort Macleod slaughterhouse of inhumanely killing horses.
The complaint against Bouvry Exports Calgary Ltd. was made by a group called the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition after it obtained what it alleges is hidden camera footage from inside the slaughterhouse.
“I don’t believe in an assembly-line situation like this that horses can be humanely slaughtered,” said Sinikka Crosland, executive director of the defence coalition, which wants horse slaughterhouses abolished in Canada.
The RCMP, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Alberta SPCA all confirmed they were investigating the situation.
In a statement, the food inspection agency said it “is validating and investigating the allegations presented in the video, and actions will be taken to ensure vigilance and respect with regards to appropriate duty of care and humane treatment of animals.”
The owner of the slaughterhouse denied the allegations of inhumane slaughter to the CBC. Claude Bouvry said the facility is monitored by six CFIA inspectors and a veterinarian.
The RCMP said Thursday it launched an investigation three weeks ago when it received a complaint there was cruelty in the operation of the slaughterhouse.
The investigation, Sgt. Patrick Webb said, is looking into whether “any circumstances are illegal in any way under the statutes.”
Some of the videos show horses not being knocked unconscious when shot. Instead, when the gun is fired, another part of the horse’s head is hit, and the animal is left suffering for what the defence coalition calls a prolonged period.
The horse defence coalition alleges the heads of the horses are not being secured properly, and the shot is being taken at an incorrect angle. Some horses, they say, are being hoisted from one leg while still showing signs of consciousness.
Twyla Francois with the horse defence coalition said the video was taken Feb. 19. She said the group can link a Lethbridge radio station playing in the background to that date. A song list from that day matches what is heard on the video, she said.
The videos posted on the Internet are extracts from 10 hours of footage and the defence coalition says they are authentic. They have also sent the video to a retired RCMP forensic investigator to ensure no changes have been made to the videos.
But another animal welfare organization, which receives money from Bouvry for projects, suggests the video wasn’t taken at Bouvry, nor during the month of February.
“It’s unacceptable treatment of animals, absolutely. However, I cannot authenticate the videos,” said Bill DesBarres, chairman of the Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada.
He suggested the videos were part of a broader movement by the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition to have horse slaughter banned in this country and that food inspection agents would have closed the slaughterhouse if they had witnessed what is depicted in the recording.
The Alberta SPCA says it has received complaints from the public before about Bouvry dealing with issues of shelter and injured horses, but found allegations unsubstantiated.
Director of enforcement Morris Airey said they’re looking into whether the video is a true portrayal of what’s happening at the facility.
“That’s part of the problem in looking at some of these things,” he said. “There’s always going to be individual incidents that are unexpected or unaccounted for as far as the unusual.
“Is this strictly those kinds of incidents, or is this a pattern that we would have to look at?”
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
I do believe I do believe I do believe…. in the force of the Horse!!!!! mar
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Horse abuse must stop …shipping to Canada for slaughter must stop…round ups of wild horses must stop….thankyou
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I DO hope this doesn’t just get swept under the rug as so often happens. Keep after it, folks!
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It’s a good push to prove him wrong, however those Vets and “food inspection agents” that ignored the current rules need to be fired.
Those slaughterhouse officials should not be the ones asking questions, they should be answering specific questions, like when is that food inspection agent going to be fired? and the employees beating animals? when will they be charged with crimes?
being on the defensive is never good.
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Slaughtering equine will never be humane and all slaughtering equine facilities must be shut down!
As a life-long Canadian citizen, resident, and taxpayer, I implore the Federal government to
1. Take immediate action to shut down the slaughterhouses: Richelieu Meat Inc. in Massueville and Bouvry Exports in Fort Macleod, Alberta.
I further request necessary procedures commence to:
2. Ban all equine slaughterhouses in Canada
3. Ban the import and export of horses for slaughter
4. Canadian and Provincial governments immediately instigate a nation wide investigation designed to offer a low cost humane equine euthanasia (i.e. by a Canadian certified veterinarian meeting mandatory provincial licensing) and corpse disposal, to those people who have unwanted horses.
5. Ban the sale of horsemeat within Canada.
Please read:
http://www.hsus.org/horses_equines/issues/get_the_facts_on_horse_slaughter.html
http://www.horsefund.org/horse-slaughter-fact-sheet.php
…The conclusion is clear – horse slaughter does not decrease abuse and neglect but actually encourages it.
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I too am a horse lover and come from a long line of lovers. Slaughtering plants should and are heavily inspected by goverment officials (CFIA) local vets and fully trained personal. Yes mistakes and mishaps happen, they are people not machines.
I think what the public needs to more focused on is catching the people that are hauling these malnourished physically hurt horses into the auction marts instead of penalizing the meat buyers who are disposing of them. Before we shut plants down and end up like the sates who are still in the middle of a disatster we need to have an alternative. Without an outlet for these animals we are asking for problems. Instead of paying the large somes of money trying to “catch the buyers” why arent we funding to help people afford the high price feed? There are so many more productive ways to help the industry and I am disgusted with the organizations claiming to fight for the rights of horses. They are misguided gangsters that feed off being in the spot light. They break the law and have no regards to our canadian laws. Its disgrace to the horse industry and I would be ashamed to be a part of it. Recently the goverment released a blurb about hosting clinics for the public on how to care for your horse, good idea but a waste of time the people that need to take the clinics wont be bothered. Another waste of canadian dollars. No we don’t have a problem with the slaughter plants, yes we had an incident and those risponsible should be repremended. I don’t eat horse but who am I to say that others can’t when intially thats what they were used for. Do we look down on and scaowled the chilodren in 4H who raise their calves, gentling them, halter breaking them eventually showing them and then selling them for slaughter. For a year those animals were their pets named and groomed like a horse. No its socially acceptable because we all like burgers and steak. We are all hypocrites and need to rethink the situation and jump off the ban wagon.
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