A truck transporting more than 150 pigs flipped in Burlington, Ontario, this morning.
According to Canada’s The Star, the truck was on its way to a nearby slaughterhouse when it crashed around 7:30 a.m.
Staff. Sgt. Peter Corner of Halton Regional Police said no pigs were killed in the crash and most of them were out of the truck. The few who tried to escape were quickly corralled and led to the slaughterhouse by employees of the plant.
Local activists gathered near the accident site to spread a message of compassion. Many were chanting “stop the cruelty, visibly upset by the truly horrific scene.
Watch.
This was the first time many of these pigs experienced the grass beneath their feet or any semblance of freedom.
Under current Canadian laws, farmed animals can be transported for days without food or water, and trucks are not required to protect animals from severely inclement weather. Because of these outdated laws, each year more than 8 million farmed animals arrive at Canadian slaughterhouses dead or so sick or injured they are declared unfit for human consumption.
Multiple Mercy For Animals investigations have documented firsthand the extreme suffering endured by farmed animals in Canada. An investigation of Western Hog Exchange in Alberta showed frightened animals transported hundreds of kilometers in sweltering heat, suffering from heat stress and dehydration, and workers using electric prods to repeatedly shock “downed pigs.
Thankfully, these inhumane and outdated laws outrage the public. In fact, a poll from earlier this year found that 90 percent of Canadians support stronger federal transport protections for farmed animals. With the help of animal advocates across Canada, MFA is pushing lawmakers to pass comprehensive animal transport legislation.