Update: The event has wrapped! Watch the replay.
Horses hold a special place in Canadian hearts. Yet every year in Canada, thousands of gentle, intelligent horses are crammed into wooden crates for long, terrifying flights to Japan. These live horse export shipments subject animals to gruelling conditions only for them to be slaughtered for sashimi—a delicacy for the wealthy.
What It Takes to End Live Horse Export
Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 PM ET
Location: Online via Zoom
Register: animajustice.ca/horse-panel
The Fight Against Live Horse Export Must Ramp Up Now
We came close to banning this cruel practice last year with Bill C-355. Unfortunately, that bill died on the order paper when an election was called. With the new Mark Carney government now in place, the fight must begin again.
Momentum, though, is building: various MPs in the House of Commons are working to keep this on the government’s agenda, but we need more MPs to step up to push a ban across the finish line during this Parliament.
Our February Animal Justice panel brings together top leaders in the fight for horses. They will share the path forward and explain why your action is critical right now. Together, we can finally end live horse export for slaughter.
Meet our panelists:
- Jann Arden: Canadian singer/songwriter & head of the HORSESHIT campaign
- Kaitlyn Mitchell: Director of Legal Advocacy at Animal Justice
- Alexandra Mendès: Member of Parliament for Brossard – Saint-Lambert
- Dr. Pamela Corey: Equine veterinarian
- Sandy Sharkey: Equine photographer & advocate
Hosted by: Animal Justice’s Kimberly Carroll.
This panel will cover:
Our experts will dive into the political and legal strategies needed for victory. During the session, we will discuss:
- The political pathway to getting a ban under the current government
- What Animal Justice investigations reveal about transport deaths and suffering
- How to meet with your MP and advocate effectively
- Ways to communicate about live horse export in a compelling, persuasive way
If you care about horses, please join us. Be part of the charge to shut down this industry for good.
Panelist Biographies:
Jann Arden is a multi-platinum, award-winning singer, songwriter, actor and best-selling author of six books. Arden has released 16 albums with 19 top ten singles. Arden’s accolades include 8 JUNO Awards, 10 SOCAN Awards and 4 Western Canadian Music Awards to name a few. In 2020, she was announced as an inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. She’s also been inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, has a Star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, and been awarded the Order of Canada. Jann, along with the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition, heads up the HORSESHIT campaign to end legislation allowing Canada to export live horses.
Kaitlyn Mitchell is the Director of Legal Advocacy at Animal Justice, where she works to stop the spread of agricultural gag (“ag gag”) laws in Canada, improve legal protections for animals, and defend the rights of animal advocates. She gives animals a voice in court and has played a leading role in campaigns to strengthen laws by banning the export of horses for slaughter, phasing out toxicity testing on animals, protecting wild animals in captivity, strengthening oversight of puppy mills, and reducing farmed animal suffering. Prior to joining Animal Justice, Kaitlyn worked for over a decade as a public interest environmental lawyer. She has appeared before numerous courts across the country, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
Alexandra Mendès is a Portuguese-born Canadian Liberal politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brossard—Saint-Lambert. She’s also served as Assistant Deputy Speaker since 2019. A long-time community organizer, Alexandra was the Executive Director of Maison Internationale de la Rive-Sud (MIRS), a non-profit community organization that provides support and assistance to new immigrants and refugees. She has a long history of supporting key animal welfare laws, and has been a strong supporter of banning the export of horses for slaughter overseas.
Dr. Pamela Corey is a Cornell veterinary graduate of 1998 who’s practiced exclusively on horses for the majority of her career. After a one year internship at an equine medical and surgery clinic, she worked in NYC and Long island on racehorses and performance horses. Later in her career, she worked in equine welfare and public health in NYC for both a humane organization and local city government. She moved to Ontario permanently in 2021 and has her own veterinary business offering chiropractic and acupuncture services for dogs and horses.
Sandy Sharkey is a former morning radio host who shifted her career to follow her passion: advocating for the protection of horses, both domestic and wild. A skilled equine photographer, Sandy’s wild horse images have been published in several magazines, including cover shots for Canadian Geographic. She’s a writer, guest speaker, and a guide for the wild horses of Alberta and the wild horses of Sable Island, Nova Scotia. She’s successfully engaged her MP about banning live horse export and looks forward to helping others do the same.
Kimberly Carroll (Host) is a coach for changemakers, campaigns strategist with Animal Justice, director of Animal Justice Academy, and a director with the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank. She brings her strategic and bridge-building skills as a coach and extensive media background from her career as a television host and producer to advocating for animal rights. She co-created the original “Why love one but eat the other?” transit ad campaign in Canada and was one of the founders of Mercy For Animals Canada — helping bring the first undercover farmed animal investigations to Canadian television. As a coach/teacher, Kimberly has helped empower thousands of activists and counselled those in high-stress activist positions like undercover investigators and non-profit leaders. She’s also passionate about environmental activism, democratic reform, anti-poverty initiatives, and Indigenous rights.
