The article highlights a significant gap in Canadian federal laws regarding the welfare of farmed animals, including horses, donkeys, and mules, where standard agricultural practices causing suffering are exempt from cruelty laws. The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), an industry-led body, currently sets voluntary Codes of Practice that prioritize industry interests over animal welfare. NFACC is conducting a public consultation to update its Equine Code of Practice, offering Canadians a chance to influence policies on ending harmful practices such as extreme confinement in tie stalls, painful procedures without anesthesia (e.g., branding), and inadequate shelter and space on feedlots.

The article calls for urgent reforms to improve horse welfare, including banning tie stalls, requiring proper anesthesia for surgical procedures, providing adequate shelter and dry lying areas, and ending the breeding of horses for slaughter, which often leads to inhumane transport and suffering. It urges the public to participate in the NFACC survey by March 12, 2026, to advocate for stronger, enforceable standards that protect horses from cruelty and align with Canadian values opposing the export and slaughter of horses.