Livestock production and animal welfare issues are moving into the federal election campaign.
Or they will, if a new group called Humane Voters Canada gains traction.
It plans to question election candidates on their stance regarding animals and in some cases help elect candidates “that demonstrate strong support for animal welfare.”
Launched last week in Toronto, the group is headed by co-directors Jerry Simonelli and Camille Labchuk.
Both are lawyers. Simonelli teaches animal law at the University of Windsor and Labchuk represents individuals and organizations in cases involving animal law.
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Simonelli said animal protection is the key focus of the group, including farm and food animals.
“I think if we look at the laws in Canada, we have some laws that do address farm animal welfare,” he said.
“But one of the problems is that they are not fully developed in the regulations in some cases, and we don’t have adequate enforcement and monitoring of farm conditions for humane treatment of animals.”
He also voiced concern about Canada’s livestock transport regulations, particularly those dictating how long animals can be carried without rest, food and water.
Canada’s health of animals regulations indicate market hogs and poultry can be transported up to 36 hours, sheep and cattle for 48 hours and horses up to 24 hours.
“These times are the highest in the western world,” said Simonelli.
“Canada really is far behind the world.”
He was also critical of federal food inspection regulations, which he suspects do not include adequate consideration for humane animal treatment.
Simonelli said the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies gave Canada a D grade on farmed animal welfare, as did the World Animal Protection organization.
Welfare of companion animals is also a focus of the group.
“Animal protection really resonates with people, when you look at the fact that in Canada and the U.S. … more than half of the homes are shared with a companion animal and people view that animal as a member of the family,” he said.
“There is a deep reservoir of people wanting animal welfare.”
Simonelli acknowledged that food animals and those used for research are in a different category, but “the bottom line is, regardless of the use of the animal, people really want humane treatment of animals, and that is the vein that we hope to tap.”
Humane Voters Canada does not have a specific legislative agenda for improving livestock and animal welfare. Actions will depend on the election outcome.
Simonelli said the general aim is to bring federal laws into alignment with Canadian values regarding animal welfare. He pointed to restaurant chain efforts to make changes in livestock production.
This may be the first time a group focused on animal welfare has attempted to actively campaign on behalf of candidates who support that goal.
“Our strategy is to address mainstream political parties with animal protection issues, so I think we are definitely a very unique, novel way of approaching this as a national campaign to try and influence the major parties.”
The Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada is a registered party in the current election. Elections Canada indicates that party has seven candidates running in the country.
The party is not affiliated with Humane Voters Canada, which is a project of the Animal Justice Canada Legislative Fund.
