The RCMP has just announced it will not be laying charges against a Fort Macleod horse slaughterhouse under investigation, saying there was no evidence of intential cruelty to animals.
The investigation began in April, after an animal welfare group accused Bouvry Exports Calgary Ltd. of inhumanely killing horses.
The animal welfare group, called the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition, levelled the allegation after it obtained what it alleges is hidden camera footage from inside the slaughterhouse.
The RCMP, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Alberta SPCA were involved in the investigation.
In a statement issued shortly after the investigation began, the food inspection agency said it "is validating and investigating the allegations presented in the video, and actions will be taken to ensure vigilance and respect with regards to appropriate duty of care and humane treatment of animals."
The owner of the slaughterhouse denied the allegations of inhumane slaughter to the CBC. Claude Bouvry said the facility is monitored by six CFIA inspectors and a veterinarian.
Some of the videos show horses not being knocked unconscious when shot. Instead, when the gun is fired, another part of the horse’s head is hit, and the animal is left suffering for what the defence coalition calls a prolonged period.
The horse defence coalition alleged the heads of the horses are not being secured properly, and the shot is being taken at an incorrect angle. Some horses, they say, are being hoisted from one leg while still showing signs of consciousness.
The group said the video was taken Feb. 19, basing the claim, on audio from a Lethbridge radio station playing in the background. A song list from that day matches what is heard on the video, she said.
The videos posted on the Internet are extracts from 10 hours of footage and the defence coalition said they are authentic. They also sent the video to a retired RCMP forensic investigator to ensure no changes have been made to the videos.
But another animal welfare organization, which receives money from Bouvry for projects, said at the time that he video wasn’t taken at Bouvry, nor during the month of February.
"It’s unacceptable treatment of animals, absolutely. However, I cannot authenticate the videos," said Bill DesBarres, chairman of the Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada.
He suggested the videos were part of a broader movement by the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition to have horse slaughter banned in this country and that food inspection agents would have closed the slaughterhouse if they had witnessed what is depicted in the recording.
The Alberta SPCA said it had received complaints from the public about Bouvry prior to the most recent accusations, usually dealing with issues of shelter and injured horses,. The agency found all the allegations unsubstantiated.
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