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Treatment at rodeo sickening
The Times
Published: Friday, August 17, 2007

Editor:

I was sickened to see the brutal treatment of animals at the Chilliwack Rodeo this weekend. In particular, I took photographs of a steer that stuck her head through the fence and was repeatedly kicked in the face. When this "reserve" steer was in the chute she had put her head back and forth through the bars several times and there was no need for such violent, wanton abuse.

The public is unaware of the behind the scenes abuses. The bucking straps are cinched tight to make the animals buck (they stop bucking when the straps are released), they are shocked with electric prods, their hair is twisted and sometimes pulled out, they are jabbed with spurs and more. The frightened animals leap out of the chutes to try to avoid the torment. During steer wrestling they can suffer from painful strains, pulled muscles, broken bones, dislocated joints etc. This also applies to team steer roping in which the animal stretched out by the ropes around the head and hind legs. Calf roping has been renamed "Tie-Down" roping to take the focus of the young calf victims who are lassoed while running fast, flipped high in the air and legs tied. This also causes serious painful injuries. Numerous animals have died from these rodeo practices.

These violent blows to the steer and others should be a blow to rodeo businesses that claim that they treat the animals with care. Once the dirty rodeo secrets are exposed, the public will not support it. Such wanton callousness towards sentient creatures must not be condoned in our society. I urge the City of Chilliwack to join other progressive cities, such as Vancouver and Cloverdale, which have stopped rodeos and/or banned obvious cruel events. I hope you will replace violent rodeos with humane family events.

Peter Hamilton,

Lifeforce Foundation,

Vancouver

© Chilliwack Times 2007