The Vancouver Humane Society is calling for a ban of rodeo events in Williams Lake following the 90th Annual Stampede.
Communications Director Peter Fricker says after sending a photographer to the WL Stampede, there were a number of events that concerned them such as calf roping and steer wrestling.
“In the case of calf roping, we are talking about three month old animals being chased and roped to a sudden halt and thrown to the ground before being tied up. That obviously causes the animal a great deal of distress, it’s subjecting them to fear, stress and pain.
“And what worse about it, is it’s all for the sake of entertainment.”
The Vancouver Humane Society’s campaign against rodeo has been running for more than ten years, including protests against the Calgary Stampede, and the now cancelled Luxton and Abbotsford Rodeos.
Fricker claims rodeos can still be a success without having steer wrestling and calf roping, pointing to the Cloverdale Rodeo which dropped roping events in 2007. Bull riding, barrel racing and other rodeo events continue in Cloverdale, but the Humane Society’s website indicates they would like to see the end of those events as well.
“When they did that there was a lot of concern in the rodeo community, that was going to be the end of the Cloverdale Fair and it was going to be a disaster. But since then, the fair has been extremely successful, attendance has held up.”
Fricker notes that a national poll shows that only three in ten Canadians approve of using animals in a rodeo. 33% are for rodeos in BC, while 57% approve in Alberta.
Williams Lake Mayor Walt Cobb says he’s received about twelve complaint emails on the rodeo, but isn’t concerned.
“You always get people that are doing that. They’ve stopped rodeos elsewhere but if they wanted to do their homework and go and talk to C-Plus ranches and the work that they do and the way the animals are treated… I don’t give a lot of credibility to them.”
w/ files from Rebecca Dyok MY CARIBOO NOW
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