CALGARY—Animal Justice will join Calgary Animal Rights Effort (CARE) in weekend protests during the Calgary Stampede, calling attention to the cruelty inflicted on animals during rodeo and chuckwagon events, just weeks after Alberta passed a new law that shields chuckwagon racing and rodeo from accountability.
The statistics year after year during the Calgary Stampede show the extreme danger chuckwagon racing in particular poses for the horses involved, and public polling shows that Canadians, and most Albertans, are opposed to cruel rodeo events that cause animal distress, suffering, and deaths.
“CARE is organizing protests on both weekends of Stampede because rodeo and chuckwagon events routinely injure or kill animals nearly every single year. Calgary deserves a Stampede that doesn’t rely on the fear, injury and death of animals to sell tickets,” said Tawnya Foster, an organizer with CARE.
The Animal Protection Amendment Act, which received Royal Assent in May 2026, marked Alberta’s first major overhaul of animal protection legislation in more than 20 years. But the government also quietly amended the Act, ensuring chuckwagon racing and rodeo will lay outside the law’s reach.
“Alberta just strengthened its general animal protection law, yet completely gutted protections for the vulnerable horses and cows who endure rodeo and chuckwagon events every year—often facing injuries or death,” said Alexandra Pester, Calgary-based senior staff lawyer at Animal Justice. “If these events truly meet acceptable welfare standards, there’s no reason they’d need to be shielded from legal accountability”
EVENT DETAILS:
When: July 4, 5 and July 11, 12 from 12-2:00 PM
Where: 17th Avenue and MacLeod Trail SE, Opposite Victoria Park LRT station
Animal Justice Senior Staff Lawyer Alexandra Pester in attendance on-site and available for interviews July 4/5.
Contact:
Josh Lynn
Public Relations Manager
[email protected]
Alexandra Pester (Calgary)
Senior Staff Lawyer
[email protected]
Tawnya Foster
Organizer & Campaign Lead, Calgary Animal Rights Effort (CARE)
[email protected]