Dear editor,
The Calgary Stampede is upon us, and for horses, that means their days may be numbered. Nearly every year, horses suffer catastrophic injuries during the event. The Stampede has been given free rein to police itself for far too long, and dozens of animals are dead as a result. It’s time for the government to step in and put an end to the abuse.
The deadliest events in the Stampede are the chuckwagon races, in which teams of horses pull “pioneer” wagons and race around a track at breakneck speed. Horses have suffered broken legs, heart attacks, and broken backs. It is indefensible to continue an event in which animals routinely pay with their lives.
Alberta’s Animal Protection Act prohibits causing animals distress, and it defines an animal in distress as one who is “abused or subjected to undue hardship, privation or neglect.” Since horses used in the chuckwagon races surely suffer hardship, the races may be in violation of the law.
People who care about animals should not support something that causes so much pain and suffering. Please steer clear.
Jennifer O’Connor
PETA Foundation
