Animal advocates from Calgary Animal Rights Effort and the Daisy Foundation, joined by national animal law organization Animal Justice, will rally outside the Calgary Stampede to oppose the use of animals in dangerous and distressing rodeo events, including bull riding, steer wrestling, and chuckwagon racing.
CALGARY – Animal Justice will join Calgary Animal Rights Effort in their weekend protests against the Calgary Stampede rodeo and chuckwagon events, which regularly cause serious injuries and even death to animals forced to compete. Last year, three horses died as a result of chuckwagon races and one young cow was killed after his neck was violently broken during a steer wrestling competition.
Local animal rights groups, Calgary Animal Rights Effort and the Daisy Foundation, are leading the charge to raise public awareness about these events during both Saturdays and Sundays of the Stampede.
Animal Justice is Canada’s leading national animal law advocacy organization, which has long criticized the Calgary Stampede for continuing to host cruel and archaic rodeo events now out of favour with the majority of Canadians.
Who: Calgary Animal Rights Effort, the Daisy Foundation and Animal Justice. Calgary-based Animal Justice staff lawyer Alexandra Pester will be in attendance and available for interviews throughout the Stampede, both by phone, Zoom and in-person at protests.
What: Protests to raise awareness about the abuse that occurs during rodeo events. Photo, video, and interview opportunities.
When: July 5, 6, 12, and 13 from 12:30 to 1:30 PM
Where: 17th Avenue and MacLeod Trail SE, Opposite Victoria Park LRT station
Why: Many rodeo events, including chuckwagon racing, steer wrestling, calf roping and bull riding, cause animals immense fear and distress and put them at risk of injury and even death. Year after year, animals are severely injured and even killed at the Calgary Stampede. Recent polling shows that even most Calgarians now disagree with some of the most harmful rodeo events at the Calgary Stampede – numbers which appear to be rising.
Quote:
“Most Calgarians do not view animal cruelty as a form of entertainment. Many of the rodeo events at the Calgary Stampede cause horses, bulls, and calves to extreme stress, fear, and the very real risk of injury or death. It’s time for the Stampede to get with the times by ending its rodeo events and focusing on the many ways it can continue to bring our city together without causing harm,” said Alexandra Pester, Calgary-based Staff Lawyer at Animal Justice.
Contact:
Alexandra Pester
Staff Lawyer, Animal Justice
[email protected]
Maureen Hurly
Calgary Animal Rights Effort
[email protected]
Heather Anderson
Daisy Foundation
[email protected]