“Stamping Out” the Ostriches
https://www.columbuszoo.org/blog/snow-big-deal-how-ostriches-strut-through-winter-pros Today, I virtually attended Federal Court of...
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Your Source for Up-to-Date Legal Insights on Animal Rights
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Current Events in Animal Rights
Last Update: July 28, 2025
Banning the Export of Live Horses for Slaughter
Despite a 2021 federal government promise to ban the export of live horses to Japan for slaughter, the practice continues. Bill C-355 remained stalled in the Senate, and failed upon the suspension of Parliament earlier this year. Ending this practice has not only become popular among animal advocacy groups in Canada, but also the majority of the electorate, making it an urgent high-profile issue. Current efforts to end this practice include a private prosecution brought against Carolyle Farms, a live-horse exporter in Manitoba. It is alleged that the farm "[...] exceeded the 28-hour maximum time live horses can be transported without food, water and rest." Check out CBC's reporting on the current state of the lawsuit.
Photo credit: Canadian Horse Defence Coalition.
Death of Horse "Ryder" at the Calgary Stampede
At the 2025 Calgary Stampede, a horse named Rider died during the chuckwagon races on Saturday, July 12. The incident occurred in the eighth heat of the Rangeland Derby, where the horse, ridden by competitor Chad Fike, suffered a severe fracture to his left-front cannon bone. Despite immediate medical attention, veterinarians and the owner decided the most humane course of action was to euthanize Rider due to the severity of the injury. This marked the first reported animal death at the 2025 Stampede. The event has drawn ongoing criticism from animal welfare groups, as this death brings the total number of animal fatalities at the Stampede since 1986 to at least 110, with 79 of those occurring in the chuckwagon races alone. Animal rights advocates again called for the removal of dangerous rodeo and chuckwagon events from the Stampede program, highlighting the annual risk to both animal welfare and public perception of the event.
Photo credit: Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Fate of Animals Left at Closed Marineland Canada
As of July 2025, Marineland remains closed and is actively selling off its amusement rides, but the future of the animals still onsite, including 31 beluga whales (the last remaining captive whales in Canada), four dolphins, three seals, two sea lions, and a population of black bears, is uncertain and highly contested. Marineland was found guilty in 2024 of animal cruelty charges related to its poor care of three young black bears. Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services has conducted over 220 inspections since 2020 and previously found marine mammals to be in distress due to substandard water conditions. However, most specifics on enforcement actions remain undisclosed.
Photo credit: Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Cage-Free Promise Abandoned by Nearly All Major Grocers
Over the past decade, Canada’s largest grocers and food brands pledged to sell only cage-free eggs by 2025 in response to mounting public and advocacy pressure. However, by 2021–2024, nearly all major grocers quietly backed out or delayed these commitments, citing industry readiness and costs. Instead, the industry adopted revised animal welfare codes that phase out conventional battery cages only by 2036 and permit transitioning to “enriched” cages rather than true cage-free systems. These codes are voluntary, not law, and are largely unenforceable. Animal welfare organizations criticize this approach as inadequate, calling the enriched cages little better than the originals and claiming Canada is falling behind the United States and Europe, where stricter bans and higher welfare standards are already in force. There are ongoing calls for a true end to cages in the Canadian egg industry and for more meaningful, enforceable animal welfare legislation.
Photo credit: Global Compassion Coalition
Reach Out to Your Member of Parliament and Speak for Animals
Call or Email your Member of Parliament regarding one (or all) of these issues!
If you would like to use my suggested correspondence templates, please feel free to do so by clicking on the icons below
Banning the Export of Live Horses for Slaughter Template for Correspondence
Fate of Animals Left at Closed Marineland Canada Template for Correspondence
Death of Horse "Ryder" at Calgary Stampede Template for Correspondence
Cage-Free Promise Abandoned by Nearly All Major Grocers Template for Correspondence
Click Below to See a Full List of Federal and Provincial Animal Laws
About Our Mission
The Legal Vegan is a platform offering timely news, expert insights, spotlights on compassionate businesses and charities, and the latest on animal law. Our updates and educational features are designed to not only inform, but inspire you to take meaningful steps toward helping animals.
Join our community to learn, stay engaged, and become empowered to make a real difference for all living beings!
About Me
I am a third-year student in the Juris Doctor Common Law program at the University of Ottawa, and I have decided to begin a new career helping animals as a legal advocate.
I know now that my purpose is to practice animal law and make Canada a better place for farmed animals, wild animals, domesticated animals, and animals involved in experimentation.
About Them
My goal is to work to protect all animals from abuse and neglect, as well as end all commodification of animals for entertainment, utility, food, and uses that do not serve animals directly.
I believe that animals deserve to be considered legal persons, not property, and I will work toward making that a reality during my legal career.
Animal Rights Advocacy Spotlight
Take a look at the people in our community making a difference for animals.
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Animal Friendly Business Spotlight
Take a look at businesses in our community making a difference for animals.
Astoria Bistro Botanique is a vegan restaurant, with many gluten-free options, located in the Ottawa / Gatineau area, open 7 days a week for brunch, lunch and dinner. Our vegan dishes are accompanied by a wide variety of botanical cocktails, natural wines and craft beers. We are committed to providing an exceptional dining experience for both vegans and omnivores.
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Weekly Animal Spotlight
Interesting Facts About...
Chickens
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Chickens are highly social animals, usually living in flocks with complex social hierarchies called “pecking orders.” Each chicken knows its status and that of others, and this organization reduces conflict and establishes order in the group.
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They communicate with over 30 vocalizations and a wide range of body language, conveying information about food, threats, and various emotions. Chickens use distinct alarm calls for flying (aerial) and ground-based predators, and hens teach calls to their chicks even before they hatch.
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Chickens can recognize and remember faces—both human and chicken—up to about 100 individuals.
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Chickens are capable of complex emotions like empathy and express both positive and negative feelings. They show emotional responses in anticipation of events and are capable of learning from each other (social learning).
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They demonstrate abilities such as object permanence (knowing that an object still exists even if hidden from view), which is considered an advanced cognitive skill.
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Studies suggest that chickens can dream during sleep, as they exhibit REM (Rapid Eye Movement), a trait associated with dreaming in humans and other advanced animals.
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Every chicken is an individual with a unique personality—some are bold and sociable, some shy or watchful, and some are affectionate with humans or other chickens.
References
https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.nz/education/animal-facts/chickens/ https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/factory-farming/chickens/hidden-lives-chickens/ https://www.homeopet.com/ca/fun-facts-about-chickens/ https://www.worldanimalprotection.ca/education/animal-facts/chicken-facts/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/animal-emotions/202408/chickens-startlingly-complex-social-and-emotional-lives https://spca.bc.ca/news/fun-facts-about-chickens/ https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.au/news/7-surprisingly-sweet-facts-about-chickens/
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Animals are People Too
Animals are People Too is a celebration of the wonderful animals that live on farms and in the wild.
Part 1, Farmed Animals are People Too is a celebration of the wonderful animals that live on farms. The book follows the piggies, the cows, and the chickens, as they go about their lives and do their favourite things. Take a walk through the farm sanctuary, and visit the piggies in the mud, the cows dreaming of jumping over the moon, as well as the chickens famously crossing the road.
Part 2, Wild Animals are People Too is a celebration of the wonderful animals that live in the wild. Join the squirrels as they eat their favourite food, the pigeons as they perch high above the city, and the bears as they wade in their clean, sparkling rivers.
We must always celebrate the sensitive beings that share our world.
by Mark Snyder Jr
Click to Find Children's Book on Amazon
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