An animal rights activist in Toronto has been charged with
criminal mischief for providing water to thirsty pigs who were on their way to
a slaughterhouse.
According to CBC
News, “The pork farmer who owned the pigs, Eric Van Boekel of Oxford
County, contacted police the next day. … Police investigated and pursued the
mischief charge. Punishment for the charge ranges from a fine to up to 10 years
in prison.
It’s this blatant disregard for animal suffering that
underlies Canada’s livestock transport regulations. The worst in the Western
world, they lag far behind those of both the European Union and the United
States. Farmed animals are often trucked thousands of miles for up to 52 hours
without any food, water, or rest, resulting in the deaths of millions of
animals each year.
In 2014, a
shocking hidden-camera investigation by Mercy For Animals exposed
rampant animal cruelty within Canada’s livestock transport industry, including
frightened animals in excruciating pain brought on by dehydration, starvation,
and suffocation.
Every year in Canada more than 8 million farmed animals
arrive at slaughterhouses dead or so sick or injured that they are declared
unfit for human consumption and immediately killed.
The charge against the Toronto activist not only criminalizes
compassion for animals, but also ignores serious animal welfare concerns.
The best action people can take to protect pigs and other
animals from needless cruelty is to transition to a healthy vegan diet.
Click here for
delicious recipes and tips on making the switch.