Thanks to our donors’ loyal support, VHS continues to hammer away at the rodeo industry, exposing animal cruelty and educating the public about what really happens to rodeo animals. This summer we sent photographers to record what happened at two B.C. rodeos and revealed shocking treatment of animals at the Williams Lake Stampede and the Chilliwack fair rodeo. We used news media and social media to bring attention to he photos and to put pressure on the organisers of these events. We will send the photos to businesses that sponsored the rodeos and will urge them to drop their support. We”ll keep you posted on what actions you can take as we take the campaign forward. Watch this space.
VHS also continued to draw attention to the Calgary Stampede. Fortunately this year there were no reported animals deaths or injuries. But it’s too soon to say whether the Stampede’s safety measures (which it has been pressured to implement) will result in a permanent decrease in incidents in the chuckwagon race. In any case, events like steer-wrestlng and calf-roping continue to subject animals to needless distress for the sake of entertainment.
Two professional rodeos in British Columbia — one in Abbotsford, the other in Victoria — have been cancelled in the last two years, after campaigns by VHS and other animal advocates. With your support we’ll keep rodeo on the run!