"A death trap": PETA calls out Calgary Stampede following three animal deaths
Animal rights advocates are pouncing on the Calgary Stampede after three animals were euthanized due to injuries sustained in rodeo events over the past week.
Event organizers told Daily Hive in an email that two horses and a steer died between July 5 and July 8, with the steer incident being posted to social media, causing an outcry by many.
The Stampede says that the steer suffered an injury during the rodeo on Monday, and medical attention was immediately provided.
“Following assessment, the veterinarian made the humane decision to euthanize the steer. We do everything possible to evolve our programs to minimize risk. This was a highly unusual and unfortunate incident,” reads the statement.
PETA has even chimed in on the series of deaths, calling the Calgary Stampede a “death trap for animals, as illustrated by the number of injured and dead ones hauled away from it nearly every year.”
The nonprofit organization called for an end to the Stampede’s “foolhardy and cruel” chuckwagon races in particular in the “name of decency and compassion,” even putting pressure on Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson to end the races.
The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is also calling for an end to the Calgary Stampede’s animal events– and it’s not just them that’s sharing its outrage. The Canadian non-profit Animal Justice has also responded to the tragic events.
“Animal Justice is calling for animal cruelty charges in response to the tragic but entirely preventable deaths of a young cow during a ‘steer wrestling’ event at the Calgary Stampede on Monday, and a horse during a chuckwagon race on Saturday.”
The organization says it believes the conduct displayed in the video shared by VHS of the steer death violates Alberta’s Animal Protection Act (APA) and potentially the Criminal Code.