Anti-horse slaughter advocates are hoping a new billboard in Calgary will drive home the message about their cause.

Calgarians will notice the billboard “Stop Slaughtering Us!” on Barlow Trail and Memorial Drive southeast, erected to raise awareness about BC NDP MP’s Alex Atamanenko’s Bill C-322 to stop horse slaughter for human consumption.

Dr. Sandie Hucal says Canada is slaughtering over 100,000 horses a year, including those from the states, where the practice is now banned.

“The fact that it just cannot be done humanely with a flight animal and there’s hours of video footage to show they just are not effective in stunning the animals in the process,” she said.

Hucal added the meat produced by the practice may not even be safe, because the drug phenylbutazone, commonly prescribed to horses, is not permitted in the food chain because it’s associated with serious health issues to humans.

Along with Calgary, Ottawa was also chosen as a location for a sign, sponsored by the US-based Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue.