TAKE ACTION: Write to your political rep to Stop the Suffering.

We are pleased that our “Stop the Suffering” campaign has received such a positive public response! Many have asked for a letter they can share with their MLA regarding pig welfare.

Please copy and paste the letter below, which lists key pig welfare concerns and requests a provincial moratorium on new hog barn construction. Thank you for being a strong voice for pigs in Manitoba!

Your name
Your mailing address (so they know you are a constituent)

Dear political rep’s name

As your constituent, I am writing to share my welfare concerns regarding industrialized pig production in both Manitoba and Canada. I am asking that your party place a moratorium on building hog barn facilities in the province.

In 2022, Statistics Canada reported the average number of pigs per farm to be 1,951. In my home province of Manitoba, that number is 6,104 – over three times the national average. When housed in such large numbers, it is impossible to ensure the well-being of each individual pig.

It is made clear by the National Farm Animal Care Council guidelines that the well-being of animals is not a priority. Piglets begin their lives undergoing painful invasive procedures such as teeth and tail clipping, ear notching, and castration, all with pain management no stronger than human Tylenol. Piglets who are deemed too weak or sick are killed by way of blunt trauma -having their heads bashed onto a concrete floor.

While ranked among one of the most intelligent animals in the world alongside dolphins and chimpanzees, pigs are severely under-stimulated in industrial agriculture. They exist on slatted floors in bare concrete barns. When given the opportunity, pigs will roam several miles a day using their strong sense of smell to graze, root, forage, and play. When crowded into windowless barns, they have no opportunity to engage in these behaviours, and so it is common for stereotypical behaviours like bar biting to develop.

In 2013, Canadian pork producers pledged to phase out all gestation crates by 2024. That date is near, and the industry is now looking for an extension, leaving millions of sows stuck in inhumane gestation crates.

Current transportation regulations also allow for pigs to be transported for up to 28 hours without food, water, or rest. In a country with an extreme variance in temperature, there is no legislation setting maximum and minimum temperatures for which animals can be transported. In 2022, the CFIA documented 1.5 million animal injuries and/or deaths in transport. This is unacceptable.

When left to regulate itself, the Canadian pork industry continues to cause egregious suffering for the millions of pigs produced each year. As your constituent, I am asking that your party stand up for the pigs that continue to suffer in Manitoba and place a moratorium on hog barn production so that no more pigs fall victim to this incredibly inhumane industry.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Your name