The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it will conduct inspections to gather more information about the shipment of pigs shown in a video posted online by an animal-rights group in Kamloops, B.C.
The video published by Kamloops Animal Rights Movement and Advocacy shows pigs piled on top of one another in a transport truck on what the group says was a “sweltering” hot day last week.
Kira Blaise shot the video and says the pigs didn’t have enough room to stand or lie down comfortably, and were forced to push into and climb on top of one another.
She adds that one pig’s face was being stepped on by another and it was breathing shallowly.
Anna Pippus of the animal advocacy group Animal Justice says federal law prohibits crowding animals in transport, and guidelines indicate that animals must be given more space on hot days.
But she says the law doesn’t make clear what constitutes crowding, and pigs can be trucked for up to 36 hours without a break for rest, food or water.
The Canadian Press
