Rodeos: What You Can Do!

Above: "Team roping", photo from Cloverdale, British Columbia 2005 Rodeo.

Pictured above is a "bucking strap", which is tied around an animal's abdomen and genitals to make it buck to rid itself of the pain. Note also the scarring on the animal.

The First Annual Great Markham Rodeo will be taking place on Saturday May 27th in the town of Markham. If you wish to take the time to send an email to the rodeo's sponsors letting them know of your opposition to the rodeo and their sponsorship of this event, there is a pre-written letter available for you below as well as the emails of all the businesses involved.

Hello,

I am writing to let you know that I am very dismayed and appalled at your decision to sponsor the Great Markham Rodeo.

Rodeos are a severe form of animal cruelty. The animals are not “athletes”. They are unwilling participants in an act that causes them severe distress, injury, and even death. Did you know that horses and steers buck because they are forced to wear a “bucking strap”, which is tightly cinched around their genitals? Or that the animals are tormented with electric prods in the chute prior to their release into the ring?

During calf roping, calves are violently slammed to the ground by a rope thrown around their neck. This often causes broken necks and ripped tracheas. Many die. Do not forget that these are infant animals.

Injuries to animals, such as deep internal bruising, torn ligaments and muscles, ripped tendons, and broken bones are commonplace. These animals are not given a time to heal and to receive treatment post-injury--they are simply sent to the slaughterhouse.

The Great Markham Rodeo has claimed that they have support from the OSPCA. This is blatantly false. The OSPCA clearly states that they are opposed to rodeos. The rodeo is not a “sport”, as they would have you believe, but a brutal bully fest in which animals are routinely tortured.

I will be boycotting your business due to your sponsorship of this event and I will urge my friends and family to do the same. Cruelty is not entertainment.

Sincerely,

_______________________


Markham Rodeo Sponsors:

York Regional Newspaper Group: shows@yrng.com
FTT Limited: arthurb@fttweb.com
Wild Wing Restaurant: info@bestchickenwings.com
Jungle Interiors: 2jungle@rogers.com
Town Centre Montessori Schools: admin@tcmps.com
Markham Village BIA: markhamvillage@on.aibn.com

Markville Ford Lincoln: info@markvilleford.com
Roger Carlson Photography: cameraguy@rogers.com
Computer CPR: hlp@computer-cpr.com
Hilton Suites Markham: daniel_mathew@hilton.com
Live Tour Artists: darcy@livetourartists.com
Markham Fairgrounds: office@markhamfair.ca
Simul Corporation: info@simulcorp.com
Eventing Canada: jennifer@eventingcanada.com
M & M Meat Shops: humanresources@mmms.ca
Country Style: info_csd@countrystyle.ca
King Brewery: hbrewer@kingbrewery.ca
Mandarin: info@mandarinbuffet.com
Main Street Travel and Cruises: rebecca.hughes@mytravel.ca
Olde Markham Coffee Shop: coffee@beanloft.com
Mug and Truffle: info@mugandtruffle.com
Masquerade Costume Shop: info@costumerentals.ca
Flight Exec: info@flightexec.com
Spill the Beans: spillbeans10@hotmail.com
Ye Olde Fudge Pot: yeoldefudgepot@cogeco.ca
High Fields Country Inn and Spa: info@highfields.com
Travel Only For Charity: flogan@travelonly.net
Eclipse Concerts: kerri@eclipseconcerts.com
John Procenko, Realtor: john@procenko.com
Main Street Magazines: editorial@mainstreetnews.ca
Life's Ruff: lifesruff@rogers.com
Rogers Television:
Bruce Mann, VP, Investor Relations - bruce.mann@rci.rogers.com
Eric A. Wright, Director, Investor Relations - eric.wright@rci.rogers.com
Jan Innes, VP, Communications - jan.innes@rci.rogers.com
Taanta Gupta, VP, Communications - taanta.gupta@rci.rogers.com

Rona:
Robert Dutton, President and CEO - robert.dutton@rona.ca
Claude Bernier, Executive Vice President, Traditional and Specialized Stores - claude.bernier@rona.ca
Pierre Dandoy, Executive Vice President, Big Box Stores - pierre.dandoy@rona.ca
Normand Dumont, Executive Vice President, Merchandising - normand.dumont@rona.ca
Jean Emond, Executive Vice President, People & Culture (Human Resources) - jean.emond@rona.ca
Claude Guevin, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer - claude.guevin@rona.ca
Michael Brossard, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Development - michael.brossard@rona.ca
Sylvain Morissette, National Director of Corporate Communications and Public Relations - mors@rona.ca

Future Shop:
Pamela Saunders, Corporate Communications - psaunders@futureshop.com
Heather Buksh, Corporate Communications - hbuksh@futureshop.com

Angus Glen Golf Course
Gordon Stollery, Owner - gstollery@angusglen.com
Kevin Thistle, Vice President - kthistle@angusglen.com
Leanne Bernardo, Marketing - lbernardo@angusglen.com
JC Cunningham, Director of Operations - jc@angusglen.com
Dennis Firth, Executive Membership - dfirth@angusglen.com
Kelly Wayling, Tournament and Bookings - kwayling@angusglen.com
Will Koopnans, Director of Golf -wkoopnans@angusglen.com

We are providing you with the emails of Markham's mayor, Don Cousens, and Markham's city councillors if you would like to let them know that you are opposed to the rodeo taking place in Markham.

dcousens@markham.ca
fscarpitti@markham.ca
jheath@markham.ca
jjones@markham.ca
bodonnell@markham.ca
sdaurio@markham.ca
jvirgilio@markham.ca
gmckelvey@markham.ca
jwebster@markham.ca
dhorchik@markham.ca
kusman@markham.ca
achiu@markham.ca
eshapero@markham.ca - Councillor Shapero is fully opposed to the rodeo. Please send her an email thanking her for her support of animal rights.

**UPDATE: The town of Markham is NOT IN SUPPORT of the rodeo! The Markham Fairgrounds are privately operated and can be rented out by anyone even if the town is not in agreement with the planned event. Most of the Markham city councillors have responded to emails saying that there "is no connection between the town and the fair grounds" and that "the town is not giving support to the event".

**AS OF MAY 16, 2006, VANCOUVER HAS BANNED RODEOS! They are the first city in Canada to do so. The Vancouver Humane Society hopes to send the message to other Canadian cities that the rodeo is "no longer acceptable in modern society" and that Vancouver "will no longer tolerate the use of animals as entertainment".**


Read more about what's wrong with rodeos here or at Rodeo Cruelty.

Wild At Heart: What You Can Do

Would you like to help speak out against animals used in entertainment but couldn't make it out to the March 3-5, 2006 demos?

Don't worry, you can still help!

Write to all of Toronto's newspaper editors (email addresses are listed below) telling them why you feel that animals are not entertainment and what goes on behind the scenes at circuses. For a pre-written letter, contact Wild At Heart and we will email it you. Remember to include all of your contact info in your letter, as well as your phone number (don't worry, they won't publish your info), and if you wish to remain anonymous, include that in your letter so they don't publish your name. Try to keep your letter under 100 words and to be polite and positive.

Toronto Newspaper Editors contact info:

Toronto Sun Editor editor@tor.sunpub.com

Toronto Star Editor lettertoed@thestar.ca

National Post (follow the link to get to the email form page) http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/info/contactus/mailto.html?name=Letters&SUBJECT=Letter%20To%20The%20Editor

Globe and Mail Editor letters@globeandmail.ca

EYE Magazine letters@eye.net

Now Magazine letters@nowtoronto.com

Also, please write to your local city councillors and speak out against animal acts. Urge them to support an animal acts ban in Toronto. Councillors Martin Silva, Shelley Carroll and Glenn De Baeremaeker are already strong supporters so write to them as well to encourage them in their efforts.

Take the time to write to the Rogers Centre and ask that they no longer invite circuses using animal acts to perform at their venue. Write to the Rogers Centre sponsors to put pressure on them to not support animal acts. For a list of sponsors and a pre-written letter, please contact Wild At Heart.

Visit http://www.circuses.com or http://www.zoocheck.com for information on why animals should not be used as entertainment. Zoocheck is Canadian and has excellent information regarding the Garden Bros. circus. Stay tuned to their site as they will be launching a massive anti-circus campaign supporting an animal acts ban in the near future.