Photo courtesy of Lynn Kavanagh
Jason Khaira, then an eager 12th grader in Penticton, was listening to his teacher lecture on animal welfare issues when it dawned on him he needed to change his dietary habits. It wasn’t because he had a natural affinity for the cute and cuddly.
“I never really grew up loving animals,” he says, “but I thought one day that [eating meat] is not right.”
Nearly two decades later Khaira, 32, founded the Sikh Humane Society in 2011, a small non-profit that works to assist local animal welfare charities and sanctuaries through private donations. Ill-treatment of farm animals, in particular, has become a highly visible cause in recent years owing to cruelty scandals involving fast food giants KFC, Wendy’s, and Burger King. Khaira hopes to work towards improving the living conditions of animals destined for dinner plates.
National guidelines affecting the care of farm animals and acceptable industry standards are presently detailed in Canada’s Codes of Practice. The codes review animal handling, animal cruelty laws, transport and best practices. They also function as an educational resource for farming professionals. The codes affecting beef cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, farmed mink and farmed fox are now under revision and are due to be completed this year.
Lynn Kavanagh with her porcine pals at a farm animal sanctuary. Photo courtesy of Lynn Kavanagh
But according to Khaira, even new regulations pertaining to the treatment of farm animals are not enforced well enough. Issues needing further reconsideration include the transportation of animals, gestation crates for pigs and animals used for foie gras, among others, he says.
The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) leads the development of the codes and their revision. In a process involving seven steps, the Council will first collaborate with a national commodity or industry specialized group to identify the need for a revision and subsequently form a Code Development Committee. The Committee is comprised of members of industry, veterinarians, scientists, and animal welfare groups. The final steps involve a 60-day public comment period followed by revisions to the code based on feedback, if necessary.
The Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals (CCFA) is presently observing the code review process with great interest, says Lynn Kavanagh, a director with the CCFA.
“We are following the revision process closely and plan to submit comments to the draft Beef Code which is currently open for public feedback,” Kavanagh says in an email statement sent to The Source.
Groups like the CCFA are fighting for stronger legislation advocating farm animal welfare and aim to educate the general public on key issues surrounding the movement. The CCFA is comprised of member organizations across Canada and counts cultural groups such as the Sikh Humane Society among its ranks of supporters.
Stephanie Brown, who is also a director with the CCFA stresses the importance of public feedback on the code revision process.
“Members of the public who care about farm animals should take the time to comment on the codes,” she says. “The more people provide useful and thoughtful comments, the better. Industry still holds a lot of influence in the code development and revision process, so the balance of interests needs to be improved.”
Khaira has since provided his own comments to the Committee on prospective code revisions to beef cattle.
The Sikh Humane Society joins a growing global network of groups who are turning to theology as a source of advocacy inspiration. International organizations like the Jewish Vegetarians of North America, the Jewish Vegetarian Society and smaller outfits including the UK-based Quaker Concern for Animals and the Unitarian Universalists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have been working alongside secular bodies like PETA to promote animal-friendly diets and practices.
Sikhism incorporates compassion, daya, for all living things as one of its five virtues, but Khaira’s interest in animal welfare does not stem wholly on religious grounds.
He’s vegan by personal preference and says he owes his animal advocacy roots to his teacher who first sparked his interest in the subject. Khaira is also involved in a number of local groups through the social networking site, Meetup.com, that promote vegetarian and vegan lifestyles.
The Society’s objectives are similar to those of its larger cousins, according to him. The group was established primarily as a vehicle to support organizations like the CCFA, he says. The Society’s website is sparse, consisting of a single page, a logo, and an email address. There’s a reason for the ascetic design, Khaira explains.
“It’s part of our religious beliefs not to have pride,” he says. “If we give to charity in our own name, it’s not [considered] good [because pride is involved].”
www.sikhhumanesociety.org
www.nfacc.ca
www.humanefood.ca
