Sample Letter

(Date)
(Recipients address)

Dear (recipients name):

I am distressed to learn of the appalling treatment of farmed animals during transport in Canada.

Every year in Canada, over 650 million farmed animals face routine abuse and trama during transport to slaughter. Beatings and electric shocks, food and water deprivation, extreme temperatures, journeys up to 72 hours, and overcrowding are all commonplace.

As a result, over 3.5 million animals arrive dead at the slaughterhouse each year.

In this country, pigs can legally be transported with no food, water or protection from the elements for up to 36 hours. Many die of stress related heart attacks, others freeze to death.

Chickens can be transported with no food or water for up to 36 hours in Canada, and baby chicks can be transported for up to 72 hours. Up to 500 crates of birds are stacked on a flatbed truck. Many birds, featherless from the poor conditions on factory farms, freeze to death. Others, situated in the center of the load, die from heat exhaustuion.

Cows can be transported for up to 52 hours without food, water or rest. Truckers report that some cows give birth en route, and their newborn calves are often trampled to death in the trucks.

Despite the prevalence of abuse, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency convicts and fines a mere 6 truckers each year for violating the law. Given the prevalence of abuse during animal transport, and the hundreds of thousands of truckloads of farmed animals on the road each year, these convictions are an empty gesture at best.

Canadians expect the Department of Agriculture to ensure that farmed animals are treated humanely while in transport. Please act quickly to create stronger legislation and regulations to protect animals in transport. Moreover, please ensure that adequate resources are committed to the enforcement of these laws.

I look forward to your response addressing these issues.

Sincerely,

(Name, signature and address)