The Rural Voice, 2001-07, Page 244
4'4• Cruel rules?
0.
Yl
Brussets -area pork farmer Dave
Linton can point out a miser-
able hog just walking through
the barn. ,Working in the pork indus-
try for 25 years, he is in tune with the
smallest details. An unhappy hog is
spotted by looking into its eyes and
at its skin colour. A sad pig chews
on the bars from boredom and runs
at the sight of humans.
But with a new federal bill being
voted on, will a keen eye be enough?
BiII C-15 makes new rules and
amends the animal cruelty legislation
under the Criminal Code.
Keeping his pigs happy was some-
thing k.inton and his wife Brenda
made priority when constructing a
hog barn four years ago. The barn
uses straw bedding and gives ample
room to the hogs. Linton's pigs are
happy pigs. They are relaxed, bright
eyed, ears always upright and at ease
with humans.
The goal for the new animal cruel-
ty bill is to ensure an animal's happi-
ness. However, the new bill opens
the gate for intensive scrutiny from
animal rights groups.
The current laws for animal well
being were made in the 1950s. Since
20 THE RURAL VOICE
armers like Dave Linton have
been keeping hogs happy for
years. But a proposed federal
ekr
- bill looking out for.
happiness has many in
farming industry up in arms.
by Mark Nonkes
that time the farming industry has
completely changed. New practices
are used and new technology has
been introduced, all affecting the way
animals are raised and treated.
In the 1950s laws, animals were
included under the property section
of legislation. In the new legislation,
animals will be moved into their own
category..
Moving livestock into their own
category is something that scares
Ontario Farm Animal Council
(OFAC) executive director Leslie
Ballentine. There was no legal justi-
fication for moving animals from the
property area of the criminal code,
Ballentine said.
With animals in,a separate sec-
tion, the crown, organization's and
private citizens could more easily
press charges against farmers.
Animal activists who are not familiar
with industry standards, could press
charges if they think an animal isn't
being treated properly, Ballentine
worried.
Liz White is part of one of these
animal rights organizations. She is
with Animal Alliance in Toronto.
The organization is pushing for the
legislation to be passed as quickly as
possible. White rattles off dozens of
practices that are used in farming
industry that are not right, things that
could be changed.
Some of the current conditions in
farming are appalling to animals,
White said. Some of the things farm-
ers do to their animals should be pun-
ishable under the criminal code, she
said.
The bill will help get people who
are already mistreating animals. It
will punish people who walk away
from a barn or abuse animals. The
bill will help with already question-
able practices in the livestock indus-
try.
Typical of the areas of controver-
sy is White's concern with "downer"
animals — crippled cattle or pigs. It
is already a questionable practice in
the livestock industry and there are
strict guidelines to follow. Animals
that become lame are often sent to a
dealers to be killed for salvageable
meat before they die.
Downer animals are often dragged
to get them to move onto a loading
truck, White claimed. When they are
delivered to the processing plant ani-