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Animal Justice Calls for Cruelty Investigation Following Highway 403 Chicken Truck Rollover

Animal Justice is calling for an animal cruelty investigation after a transport truck full of chickens rolled over on Highway 403 in Oakville, Ontario.

The vehicle rolled onto its side in the early morning hours of August 9, 2022, blocking three lanes of traffic. The Ontario Provincial Police believe speed was a factor that may have caused the crash.

The road remained closed while work crews moved chickens to another truck. The survivors would have experienced distress from the shock and sustained injuries from the crash itself. But tragically, these chickens will likely be denied any treatment, and the survivors will almost certainly be sent to a slaughterhouse and face a brutal death.

Animal rescuers arrived on the scene to search for lost chickens, and request that workers release survivors to the care of local animal sanctuaries. Their requests were denied.

Causing animals to suffer during transport is a serious criminal offence, and it’s also illegal under federal animal transport regulations, and provincial animal protection laws. Animal Justice is filing a complaint with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and local authorities, requesting that these agencies investigate the circumstances which led to this tragic accident and address the suffering endured by the chickens as a result of the crash.

The CFIA is responsible for enforcing transport violations in relation to farmed animals, but regularly fails to prosecute illegal transport cruelty.

Even worse, Ontario has now passed so-called “ag gag” laws that make it difficult or illegal for citizens to document sick, dead, injured and dying farmed animals in trucks outside of slaughterhouses. This makes it challenging for the public to help get justice for animals that suffer illegally during transport, and is why it is all the more important for authorities to address transport cruelty when it does come to light.

Animal Justice lawyers are fighting to stop harmful ag gag laws. We’re currently suing Ontario to overturn its unconstitutional law, and are mobilizing supporters to stop a federal ag gag bill that’s currently in Parliament.

Please take action today to stop ag gag laws. We need more transparency in animal agriculture—not less.


Banner Truck: Carl Hanstke | @carlCityNews
Banner Chicken: Jo-Anne McArthur | We Animals Media