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Lifeforce Asks Prime Minister’s Family To Ban Farm Animal Cruelty
posted on January 30, 2009
 The Vancouver based ecology and animal rights organization, Lifeforce, has sent a letter to Canada’s Prime Minster Stephen Harper and his wife Laureen, to ask them to stop cruel practices on Canadian farms. As stated on the PM’s web site, the Harpers participate in a Foster Program for cats and dogs in Ontario. Lifeforce hopes that their compassion to protect abandoned animals will extend to animals on farms that are routinely abused.
“There are anti-cruelty laws against confining and chaining dogs so the meat and dairy industries must be stopped from confining and chaining calves and pigs for months and longer ,” stated Peter Hamilton, Lifeforce Founding Director, ”I was shocked to see the way animals are mistreated on farms in BC and the rest of Canada. Other countries are phasing out these barbaric practises and Canada must follow. Hopefully Canada will take the lead by stopping all cruelty and mandating outdoor pasturing.”
Governments and farm businesses market meat and dairy products as being from happy animals that live idyllic lives. They attempt to desensitize people. The animals are not treated like pets or companion animals living happily with farmers. If they want to act humanely then they should support legislation.
Little Doggies
Calves are taken from their moms within 1 or 2 days after birth and are confined alone in tiny pens. Common practises include veal crates and huts. In veal crates the calves are kept on chains as short as 3 feet for months. In huts they are chained or fenced in. In some huts the short chains do not permit them to leave the hut.
 See Video “Why be Cruel to These Little Doggies?”
Little Piggies
The gestation period of pigs is approximately 4 months and during this time they are chained in 2’ x 7’ gestation stalls. Just before the sow is due to give birth, she is moved to another restraining device – the farrowing crate – where she gives birth and nurses her young through metal bars. After anywhere from 10 to 21 days of nursing, her piglets are removed and the process is repeated all over again, pregnancy after pregnancy for 24 to 30 months.
See Video “Why Be Cruel to These Little Piggies?”
Recently California voters passed a ballot initiative, Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty, on November 4, 2008, which bans severe confinement of animals in veal crates, sow gestation crates and battery cages. It requires animals be confined only in ways that allow these animals to lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around freely. Other countries have implemented similar laws.
Lifeforce is urging all to request that the Prime Minister and their Member of Parliament implement legislation re:
1. Calves: Ban chaining, veal crates and restrictive huts practises.
2. Pigs: Ban chaining, gestation crates and farrowing crates.
3. Chickens: Ban battery cages.
4. Provide all animals with large clean indoor areas with access to large outdoor areas where they are free to run and socialize with others of their kind.
5. Require that all animals be given the basic freedoms to freely lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around.
Individuals can also reduce the animal suffering, health hazards, and Green House Warming by eating non-dairy products and a vegetarian diet. The intensive production of animals for dairy and meat contribute to 18% of Global Warming as compared to the more publicized transportation that is 13%. We must reduce and phase out the 60 billion animals who are killed every year worldwide.
For further information: Peter Hamilton, lifeforcesociety@hotmail.com, www.lifeorcefoundartion.org
Lifeforce is urging all to WRITE TO PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER (pm@pm.gc.ca) and THEIR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
Here’s the Lifeforce Letter:
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Dear Stephen and Laureen Harper;
On behalf of the Vancouver based ecology organization I would like to commend you for your participation in the Foster Home program for cats and dogs. When I heard about your compassionate work I thought that you would want to know that calves and pigs are routinely chained and/or confined for months and longer.
There are anti-cruelty laws against confining and chaining dogs so the meat and dairy industries must not stopped from confining and chaining calves and pigs for months and longer. I was shocked to see the way animals are mistreated on farms in BC and the rest of Canada. Other countries are phasing out these barbaric practises and Canada must follow. Hopefully Canada will take the lead by stopping all cruelty and mandating outdoor pasturing.
Governments and farm businesses market meat and dairy products as being from happy animals that live idyllic lives. They attempt to desensitize people. The animals are not treated like pets or companion animals living happily with farmers. If they want to act humanely they should support legislation.
Little Doggies
Calves are taken from their moms within 1 or 2 days after birth and are confined alone in tiny pens. Common practises include veal crates and huts. In veal crates the calves are kept on chains as short as 3 feet for months. In huts they are chained or fenced in. In some huts the short chains do not permit them to leave the hut.
See Video “Why be Cruel to These Little Doggies?”
Little Piggies
The gestation period of pigs is approximately 4 months and during this time they are chained in 2’ x 7’ gestation stalls. Just before the sow is due to give birth, she is moved to another restraining device – the farrowing crate – where she gives birth and nurses her young through metal bars. After anywhere from 10 to 21 days of nursing, her piglets are removed and the process is repeated all over again, pregnancy after pregnancy for 24 to 30 months.
See Video “Why Be Cruel to These Little Piggies?”
Recently California voters passed a ballot initiative, Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty on November 4, 2008, which bans severe confinement of animals in veal crates, sow gestation crates and battery cages. It requires animals be confined only in ways that allow these animals to lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around freely. Other countries have implemented similar laws.
We urge you to urge the Federal Government to implement legislation re:
1. Calves: Ban chaining, veal crates and restrictive huts practises.
2. Pigs: Ban chaining, gestation crates and farrowing crates.
3. Chickens: Ban battery cages.
4. Provide all animals with large clean indoor areas with access to large outdoor areas where they are free to run and socialize with others of their kind.
5. Require that all animals be given the basic freedoms to freely lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around.
In addition, as individuals you can also reduce the animal suffering, health hazards, and Green House Warming by eating non-dairy products and a vegetarian diet. The intensive production of animals for dairy and meat contribute to 18% of Global Warming as compared to the more publicized transportation issue that is a 13% factor. We must reduce and phase out the 60 billion animals who are killed every year worldwide.
In Respect for All Life,
Peter Hamilton Lifeforce Founding Director (604)649-5258 lifeforcesociety@hotmail.com www.lifeforcefoundation.org |
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