Vancouver Humane Society calls for end to calf-roping and steer-wrestling at Chilliwack Fair rodeo

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      The 145th annual Chilliwack Fair will attract huge crowds from August 11 to 13. And it can also expect to draw some protests.

      That's because the Vancouver Humane Society has launched a campaign to have calf-roping and steer-wrestling eliminated from the rodeo.

      On its website, the VHS calls on people to write the Chilliwack mayor and council in Chilliwack, as well as fair organizers and the sponsors, to express their opposition.

      Meanwhile, the fair has posted a statement on animal welfare from the Chilliwack Rodeo Association.

      It insists that members of the B.C. Rodeo Association and Chilliwack Rodeo Committee "are generally considered experts when it comes to the care & responsibility of their animals".

      "Most have more than a monetary tie to animals," the association says. "Nearly all have lived and worked around animals for most of their lives, and possess a high degree of respect and appreciation for livestock."

      Vancouver Humane Society

      The statement makes no mention of steer-wrestling or calf-roping in particular.

      In 2007, the Cloverdale Rodeo dropped four events that provoked protests from animal-welfare activists.

      This year, the VHS did not wage a public campaign against the Surrey event.

      Vancouver Humane Society

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