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Branding reality

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Published: June 9, 1994

A tragic accident occurs: the scene involves a great deal of blood and scattered alcohol bottles thrown from the vehicle.

At a park, a misbehaving child receives harsh words and a spanking from a parent. The child bawls loudly.

Springtime at the ranch: the calves are branded, castrated and dehorned. The calves bawl, smoke rises from the hides, and some blood appears on the calves’ heads.

What do these scenes have in common?

They are reality.

They all tell part of a story, a part that readers would rather not see. While urban papers often face judgments on the first two, as an agricultural paper we face the latter in animal husbandry.

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A ripe field of wheat stands ready to be harvested against a dark and cloudy sky in the background.

Late season rainfall creates concern about Prairie crop quality

Praying for rain is being replaced with the hope that rain can stop for harvest. Rainfall in July and early August has been much greater than normal.

If we ignore the scenes, do none of them happen — or will never happen again? No. Steps need to be taken to prevent certain situations from ever happening, rather than banning the shutter that snaps the picture.

To accept the view that we should show only tranquil pastoral scenes of life in rural Canada is unrealistic. Who are we trying to fool?

The phone calls and letters we’ve received generally don’t deny that branding and dehorning happen (in some form) — but we shouldn’t show this because it adds fuel to the fire for animal rights activists.

Our paper reflects reality. We can’t ignore the images that exist every day around us.

We attempt to be sensitive: those branding pictures weren’t the most graphic ones we had. The photographer wanted to tell a story: how a herd is rounded up, calves separated from their mothers, and the necessary deeds done. This is life.

While some industry representatives said these deeds are rare, a reporter was told that other methods are perhaps not as effective, not wide-spread in the industry or are poorly documented.

If producers are so concerned about their practices — good or bad — being seen, the agricultural industry should do more to encourage its members to change what they’re doing.

Next time it may not be our photographer, but an animal rights activist driving those country roads. Be prepared.

About the author

Elaine Shein

Saskatoon newsroom

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