Woodbine Entertainment Group Takes a Stand on Slaughter

Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) has released a statement to the Ontario racing community in order to make their position on horse slaughter clear.

WEG recognizes that some horse owners are facing challenges in providing proper care and nutrition for their horses, and that euthanasia is an alternative to suffering, especially when adoptive agencies are also dealing with limited resources. And, while they acknowledge that horse slaughter in Canada is legal and regulated by Agriculture Canada, WEG does not support the inhumane treatment of horses going for slaughter.

To that end, WEG has announced that any owner or trainer with horses in Ontario who is found to have sent a horse to slaughter will be denied stabling privileges at Woodbine Racetrack.

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The statement declares that: “Overcrowded feedlots, poor transportation and cruel treatment of the horses prior to and at the time of slaughter are unacceptable. Horses must be protected from unnecessary suffering.”

WEG also notes that they have “spoken with elected officials in this regard, including our local Member of Parliament, who wrote directly to the Minister of Agriculture on this issue.

“It is the responsibility of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to investigate and take appropriate action to ensure the humane slaughter of animals at federally regulated abattoirs. The Minister of Agriculture in his response to WEG’s concern indicated: ‘For horses originating in the U.S. for slaughter in Canada, the CFIA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have recently established mutual assistance in enforcing our respective regulations that govern the humane transportation of slaughter horses. Regulations and operational policies under the Meat Inspection Act set standards for humane handling and slaughter of food animals in federally registered abattoirs.’”

WEG is a long-time sponsor of both LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society and the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society. In addition, WEG was instrumental in garnering industry support for the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) to put in place a directive to provide both organizations with up to 0.5% of pari-mutuel wagering based on breed.