Animal welfare groups and celebrities continue to call for the passing of Bill C-355 to end the export of live horses for slaughter. This month Liona Boyd, five-time Juno Award-winning classical guitarist, composer, and member of the Order of Canada, is teaming up with Humane Society International/Canada, along with other advocacy groups, to urge the government to pass this crucial legislation that would ban the inhumane air shipment of live horses to Japan for slaughter.
Although the prorogation of Parliament puts the bill at risk of expiring, lawmakers still have the power to act swiftly and spare the lives of countless horses. (Bills that die during a pause of Parliament must be reintroduced once Parliament resumes.)
“Just this week, yet another shipment of horses doomed to slaughter was sent to Japan,” Boyd, who will be inducted as a member of Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2025, said in a statement. “As a proud Canadian who loves horses and strongly opposes animal abuse, I cannot stand by while this bill stalls. I am urging the Canadian government to put aside party politics and take immediate action to pass this bill to ensure the kind of suffering documented in this cruel and senseless transport is ended for good. Canadians deserve a government that respects public will, and we want this cruelty stopped now.”
Some background, as we wrote previously in Horse-Canada: in 2021, the federal government committed to banning the live export of horses for slaughter as part of the Prime Minister’s mandate letter. Private Member’s Bill C-355, introduced by MP Tim Louis in September 2023, received overwhelming public support. Although it passed the House of Commons in May 2024, it was stalled at Second Reading in the Senate by a small group of Senators.
“For years, this bill has been before government, and yet the suffering of horses continues,” says Ewa Demianowicz, senior campaign manager for Humane Society International/Canada. “The Senate has an opportunity to prioritize animal welfare and act decisively to spare horses from needless pain and misery. It could take less than a day to pass this bill and end the suffering of horses once and for all. Canadians are watching, and they expect action. The wellbeing of animals must take precedence over pointless delays.”
Loaded into cramped wooden crates, horses are being shipped from Canada to Japan on long-haul flights to be fattened, slaughtered, and served as raw delicacies. Recent investigations revealed that between June 2023 and May 2024, 21 horses shipped from Canada to Japan for slaughter died during or directly following transport. Japanese government records detail horrendous animal suffering related to these shipments, including horses dying of severe dehydration and pneumonia, miscarriages, and physical compression after collapsing in their crates.
Other Canadian celebrities who have joined the fight and lent their support include passionate horse lover Jann Arden, Elisha Cuthbert and Bryan Adams.
If you want to take action to support the passing of the Bill C-355, reach out to your MP and also sign a petition at Humane Canada.
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