No treat for the sheep

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/03/2024 (586 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s that time of year again, when Manitoba animal lovers tense up and dig in for our annual argument with farm folks about what constitutes needless animal suffering.

That’s right, the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is in town, this time doubling down on events for kids and teens that terrorize animals. The infamous sheep and calf chasing events are back, though covertly under different names. (Undoubtedly it was figured out that “mutton busting” and “calf scramble” didn’t sound so great for an event trying to convince the public it is concerned with animal welfare.)

The fight to allow children and teens to chase, ride and/or wrestle fleeing prey animals is indeed intense. In 2022, days before the Brandon area fair opened, pig and calf scrambles events were cancelled after the Winnipeg Humane Society, Brandon Humane Society and national organization Animal Justice, publicly voiced concerns. The WHS reports that as a result, supporters of the events called the shelter’s emergency and investigation lines tying up call-takers.

In 2023, those supporters then won out, as sheep wrangling went ahead as scheduled. Event organizers proudly told the Brandon Sun this week that “the animal protection office witnessed both events last year … and we did not have any wrongful interventions within the Animal Care Act.”

Representatives from both the Winnipeg Humane Society and Animal Justice say they’d like to see that report made public.

The Animal Care Act states: “No person shall inflict upon an animal acute suffering, serious injury or harm, or extreme anxiety or distress that significantly impairs its health or wellbeing.”

However, there is an exception for “accepted activities,” which does include fairs and “agriculture uses.” Except, those accepted activities still have to be consistent with “generally accepted practices” and cannot cause “needless suffering.” (As an aside, the WHS is planning to challenge the inclusion of fairs as an accepted activity under the act.)

Navigating the Animal Care Act in order to surmise that sheep and calf wrangling is somehow a-OK, can be dizzying. Thankfully the lawyers see it clearly: “Our perspective is that this is the very definition of needless suffering,” said Manitoba lawyer with Animal Justice, Kaitlyn Mitchell, to the Free Press, earlier this week (“Animal rights groups tale aim at Winter Fair”, March 20). “So events where children or young adults are chasing, tackling, grabbing on to animals may very well be unlawful.”

Even with legalities aside, let us just consider the broader point.

All this debate is over events for children and teens who have little to no educational value beyond teaching them that animals are objects of entertainment, mere toys, whose feelings don’t matter or perhaps even exist.

“These scrambles are unnecessarily cruel,” says Brittany Semeniuk, animal welfare specialist with the WHS, in a recent statement, “and are increasingly out of step with the values of Manitobans. It is discouraging that the children and youth involved in these events are being taught that it is OK to cause distress to farmed animals solely for entertainment purposes.”

By the organization’s own admission, the events are also high risk. “A Barnyard Challenge featuring Calves/Sheep Wrangling/Obstacle Course is a dangerous activity,” reads a required waiver, that “exposes the participant to some risk of property damage or personal injury.” Of course there is no consideration for the risk to the animals, who don’t get helmets, nor the choice not to sign up.

Whether for legal or ethical reasons, protest over the inclusion of calf, sheep and pig wrangling events will continue in Manitoba, so long as adults keep insisting they take place. Other fairs have rightfully done away with the events, including in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Manitoba must evolve now, too.

As Mitchell says, “If wresting, grabbing and chasing animals is a-OK in Manitoba, why not have a bunny scramble for Easter, too?”

But hey, let’s not give anyone any new ideas.

Jessica Scott-Reid is a journalist and animal advocate in Winnipeg. She also sits on the board of the Winnipeg Humane Society.