Thursday 20 December 2012

The Life and Death of a Racehorse

The Chilling Implications


From Sinikka Crosland, Canadian Horse Defence Coalition


In July 2011, a Standardbred U.S. racehorse named Silky Shark died in a Quebec slaughterhouse.

The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition tracked the evidence, showing that Silky Shark had been administered phenylbutazone (a deadly drug that must never enter the food chain) and subsequently slipped through the system undetected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Jack Rodolico of Latitude News has produced an exemplary account of the fate of this beautiful horse - Silky Shark's life in the racing industry, how he fell through the cracks, and what chilling implications his death holds in terms of animal protection and food safety.

Links to articles and podcasts are below.   

The full magazine feature and podcast: http://www.latitudenews.com/story/the-shady-trade-in-american-horsemeat/

A short version aired on the American radio program Marketplace: http://www.marketplace.org/topics/world/drugged-american-horsemeat-sold-europe 


A slightly longer version aired on Harvest Public Media's network of public radio stations throughout the American Midwest: http://harvestpublicmedia.org/article/1544/drugged-horsemeat-us-showing-europe/5

A medium-length text version on The Week:  http://theweek.com/article/index/237968/the-shady-trade-in-american-horsemeat 


CHDC's report, Proof of CFIA Failure: http://canadianhorsedefencecoalition.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/proof-of-cfia-failure/

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Last day to oppose brutality towards wolves in BC!


By Sadie Parr
Canadian Wolf Coalition

Hello wolf and wildlife supporters!

Today is the last day to tell the BC government that their barbaric wolf management plan does not represent the future we want for BC.  We demand better!  Please take a stand and use your voice if you have not submitted your concerns already.
 
Top predators are among the most outstanding achievements of wilderness, evolving over hundreds of centuries.  The social structure of wolf packs has evolved with this.  It is the wolf pack that is the top predator, not the individual wolf.  Wolves are more than mere numbers.  Their social bonds and kin-based families define what it means to be a wolf.  Management plans need to take this into account.
 
We have noticed that the on-line comment form limits the amount of feedback you can provide and does not request your name or address.  Please send comments to :

Honourable Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources

Premier Christy Clark
Phone: 250-387-1715 / Fax: 250 387-0087

Rob Fleming, MLA (NDP environment critic)
Fax:  250-387-4680

Many wolf biologists argue that allowing wolves to express their natural social behaviour benefits the wider ecosystem as well as wolves.  The proposed plan does not consider the unique gene pools of wolf populations across the province, nor recognize BC (and Canada) as one of the last places where wolves can still live as nature intended. 
Please include the following in your comments:
1.      Extend the deadline for public input to January 30.

2.      NO helicopter killing or sterilization of wolves.

3.      NO leghold traps, snares or baiting.

4.      Return to former species license, quotas, bag limits, restricted seasons, and mandatory reporting of kills for hunting wolves.

5.      A decision and statement that lethal predator control is NOT an option for the recovery of mountain caribou and a stop to the Quesnel Highland wolf sterilization and removal project.

6.      A provincial management plan for wolves that considers the social stability of packs as well as population size to ensure the long term conservation of the species in its most natural form.

7.      A commitment to reduce wolf-livestock-human conflicts through prevention, and provision of educational initiatives and incentives for responsible husbandry practices.

8.      Protection of large tracts of habitat for wolves and their prey.  Ensure that protected areas are large enough to support multiple wolf families with no hunting/trapping allowed. 
Polls across the province show that the majority of residents are against trophy hunting and killing for sport, yet the proposed management plan supports the continuation of killing wolves for pleasure as well as for hate.  I urge you to revisit the plan and make the amendments that have been put forward in this letter. 

A better BC for all includes recognizing the intrinsic value shared by all creatures in this province; a future where tolerance and coexistence with iconic predators is fostered; natural resources are managed in a sustainable way; and wild spaces large enough to support wide ranging species are protected from human impacts and connected through wildlife corridors.
 
Enough killing!  We seek justice for wolves, wildlife, and intact ecosystems.  Without them, we are much less...
Please cc. sadieparrwolfpact@gmail.com on letters sent.  Thank you for taking a stand and using your voice!