We've now taken public our most recent report Broken Wings: The Breakdown of Animal Protection in the Transportation and Slaughter of Meat Poultry in Canada. The 45 page report documents current practices in the meat poultry industry in Canada, providing photographic and video evidence captured in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. The report is based on some 44 investigations conducted between the years 2007 and 2009. It shows rampant, systemic welfare violations in regard to on-farm practices, transportation and slaughter.

Two short videos have been made using the most compelling footage:

1. Five minute summary of violations at Granny's Poultry Cooperative in Blumenort, Manitoba; and
2. Five minute summary of violations at Lilydale in Abbotsford, British Columbia

The footage is shocking and shows abuses that range from aggressive loading of transport trailers to turkeys having their legs ripped off on the live-hanging metal shackles.

If you would like a copy on disk of the videos, photos from the report or any additional footage, please contact me at twyla.1@mts.net or by phone 1-204-296-1375.

We at CETFA are not proprietary about our footage or photos and encourage their use by other organizations advocating for animals. Everything can be used copyright free but you may wish to include the location of where the footage of photo was taken. This information will educate and make the Canadian public aware that rampant violations and abuses of farm animals occur not just in the United States but here in Canada as well.

Based on our findings in this report, we are making three key requests. They are:

1. That the Office of the Auditor General conduct a performance review on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency;
2. That the poultry industry uses the information provided to update their Recommended Codes of Practice (as the Dairy Producers recently have); and
3. That the poultry slaughterhouses be urged to move to controlled-atmosphere killing which is the most humane form of slaughter for poultry available.

It would be wonderful if you joined us in forwarding these goals and conveyed them to your supporters to help leverage pressure.

The vastness of the suffering of poultry in Canada is overwhelming but together we can educate Canadians on the reality and try to effect change on all levels – through consumption patterns, legislation and corporate improvements.

Thank you all for what you do on behalf of animals!

Sincerely,

Twyla Francois
Head of Investigation
Canadians for the Ethical Treatment of Food Animals
www.cetfa.com