WINNIPEG—Animal Justice is extending an exciting early Christmas gift to Manitoba Senator Don Plett: an all-expenses paid trip to Japan in cargo, to help him understand the brutal reality of Canada’s live horse export industry—a practice he has defended by stalling legislation in the Senate that would end it.
Senator Plett has been using procedural tactics since May to delay Bill C-355, legislation that would ban the live export of horses for slaughter. If passed, the bill would end the suffering of thousands of horses shipped by air each year in dangerous and inhumane conditions. Senator Plett prevented the bill from being voted on before the Senate wrapped up for the holidays.
Animal Justice’s generous offer comes on the heels of Senator Plett’s recent visit to the Winnipeg airport, where he personally stood by and watched as horses confined in wooden crates were loaded onto a plane, bound for slaughter in Japan. (Video here)
While Senator Plett isn’t shy about spending taxpayer dollars and has one of the largest expense reports of all senators, Animal Justice is ready to help him see the results of his efforts up close without taking a cent from the public purse. And since Senator Plett has shown a passion for travel, Animal Justice believes that he can put that enthusiasm to good use on the grueling journey that thousands of Canadian horses endure every year.
As part of his itinerary, Senator Plett would board a late-night red-eye flight in Winnipeg, and he’d spend over 28 hours (or often longer) standing in a cramped wooden crate in the cargo hold, without food, water, or rest. Then, as part of this unique travel opportunity, the Senator would get a chance to witness horses succumbing to injuries mid-flight or, in some cases, dying during the journey.
But that’s not at all. Upon landing, Senator Plett, along with his fellow horse passengers, would be drenched with a powerful, eye-stinging disinfectant. And like the dehydrated horses that accompany him on the flight, the Senator would of course be welcome to desperately lap up a few drops of the chemical concoction into his parched mouth—a perfect refreshment before a lengthy trip by truck to a Japanese quarantine facility.
“Senator Plett seems very invested in this cruel industry, so we thought he’d appreciate the chance to experience it for himself,” said Camille Labchuk, lawyer and executive director of Animal Justice. “It’s one thing to watch horses being crammed into a plane. It’s another to live their reality—standing for hours on end in a confined space, exhausted and terrified. If Senator Plett really believes live exports are acceptable, this trip should be no problem for him.”
“With the Senate adjourning for the holiday break without voting on Bill C-355, largely thanks to Senator Plett’s stalling tactics, there would be no better time for him to pack his bags—and his wooden crate—and take the trip of a lifetime to discover more about the industry he’s working so hard to protect.”
Contact:
Josh Lynn
Public Relations Manager
[email protected]
Camille Labchuk
Executive Director
[email protected]
