Article content

The deaths of 27 pigs being trucked from Alberta to Metro Vancouver for slaughter in sub-zero winter weather is shedding light on the inhumane transport of animals in Canada.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspection documents obtained by Postmedia News through an access-to-information request show that Kunsman Transport Ltd. hauled a shipment of pigs on Jan. 6 this year to Donald’s Fine Foods (Britco Pork) in Langley. Kunsman is now owned by Canart Transport.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Pigs die en masse during frigid winter truck transport from Alberta to B.C. Back to video

Upon arrival, 25 were dead and two were destroyed because of their poor condition. Another 255 pigs survived the trip, which involved temperatures of as low as -10 Celsius, documents show.

A necropsy on three of the dead pigs concluded that “environmental challenges” during the trip affected the pigs’ ability to regulate their body temperature and they died of “cardiopulmonary failure.”

Michael Mensah-Wilson, quality assurance manager for the Langley plant, said in response that the incident “was highly unusual and an upsetting event for all involved.” He added: “We take the humane treatment of farm animals from transport to processing seriously.”