Protestors gather at Surrey’s Cloverdale Rodeo claiming animal abuse

Surrey’s Cloverdale Rodeo and County Fair is drawing big crowds, but not everyone is happy to see it back in action — including a group of animal rights activists.

Protestors were out Saturday afternoon saying they are standing up for animal welfare at rodeos and speaking out against the abusive use of animals for entertainment.

Animal rights activists Paul Fader says the animals endure pain, and watching this for entertainment is not ethical.

“These events expose the animals to extreme fear, pain, and distress, and risk of injury,” he said.

Protestors gathered outside of Surrey’s Cloverdale rodeo on Saturday, May 20. (Angela Bower, CityNews Image)

However, in a statement to CityNews event organizers say the animals are taken care of.

“The Cloverdale Rodeo & Exhibition Association supports responsible and humane use of animals and believes that all animals utilized in entertainment, industry and sport should be afforded proper care, treatment and management. We also believe that all rodeo events and rodeo animal welfare practices in pro rodeos should be observed and viewed only on an animal by animal basis, not by the rodeo event(s),” the statement reads.

It goes on to say the association “does not support animal rights philosophies that call for the end of all use and interaction with animals. Animal rights in its purest form, focuses on whether humans have the right to view and use animals as partners or resources.”

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But Fader says he is concerned events can cause the animals great distress.

“The bull riding or the bronc riding, are the events we are most concerned with,” he said. “In order to get those animals to buck, a flank strap is attached to their underbellies and causing discomfort…and the spurs that the riders will prod the animals with agitates them and that’s what causes them to buck. They will showcase signs of being attacked by a predator, like excessive salivation, urination, or deification, because they are in a state of panic.”

He says there are other ways people can find entertainment.

“This is a frivolous and unnecessary kind of entertainment. There are other ways people can entertain themselves, it’s not worth the risk of what these animals have to go through,” he said.

Protestors gathered outside of Surrey’s Cloverdale rodeo on Saturday, May 20. (Angela Bower, CityNews Image)

But one rodeo goer says they enjoy visiting the events and that the animals are treated well.

“They are million-dollar animals and they are pampered, they receive the care the money provides,” James told CityNews.

He says the rodeo is an age-old tradition.

“It’s just an old timely thing. This is before entertainment, before movies and all that, what else did you have to do?” he said.

But protestors are calling for the rodeo to be banned in Surrey.

“Surrey likes to say that ‘The Future Lives Here,’ as the slogan goes, [but] rodeos are not going to be a thing of the future and if that means something to them they should be supporting bylaws to prohibit practices in rodeos.”