Chicken Killed at Calgary Art School: Take Action!
Wikimedia Commons
BACKGROUND | SOURCE CETFA
Last Thursday, on April 18, a student at the Alberta College of Art and Design brought a live chicken into the school’s cafeteria. In front of spectators, the student slowly cut the throat of the writhing and screaming bird. The student proceeded to bleed the chicken out, remove the head and feathers and drop the bird into a pot–all under the guise of performance art.
Art never justifies harming and inflicting fear, pain and suffering upon another sentient being. The student`s actions must be recognized as what they are: blatant abuse and cruelty inflicted upon a defenceless animal.
Further, the student`s actions may be a sign of psychopathology. A large body of research indicates that those who inflict pain and suffering upon human victims start by inflicting it upon non-human animals.
It is important that the student who committed this cruelty be prosecuted by authorities and disciplined by the school (along with undergoing mandatory psychological treatment).
1. Contact the Alberta College of Art and Design to urge the school to discipline the student who committed this act of cruelty, adopt a formal policy prohibiting animal cruelty. Also request that the school take steps to counteract the unacceptable message of cruelty and violence promoted by this student’s actions and invite CETFA`s humane educator to give a presentation to students, faculty and staff.
2. Contact the Chief of Calgary Police Service, the Chief Crown Prosecutor, the Alberta SPCA and the Calgary Humane Society, and politely urge them to lay charges against the student as Section 2 of Alberta’s provincial Animal Protection Act prohibits causing an animal to be in distress (defined in s.1(2) as including animals that are injured, in pain, suffering, abused or subjected to undue hardship).
WHOM TO CONTACT
Email block
president@acad.ca ; AnneMarie.Dorland@acad.ca ; cps@calgarypolice.ca ; lloyd.robertson@gov.ab.ca ; execdir@albertaspca.org ; general.inquiries@calgaryhumane.ca ; admin@calgaryhumane.ca
Individual
Alberta College of Art and Design
Dr. Daniel Doz, President and CEO
1407-14 Ave NW
Calgary, Alberta T2N 4R3
Email : president@acad.caPhone: 403.284.7670
Fax: 403.338.5575
Anne Marie Dorland, Director of Communications
Email: AnneMarie.Dorland@acad.ca
Phone: 403.284.7656
Rick Hanson, Chief of Calgary Police ServiceCalgary Police Service5111 47 St. N.E.
Calgary, Alberta T3J 3R2
Email: cps@calgarypolice.ca
Phone: 403-428-5900
Lloyd Robertson, Chief Crown Prosecutor
600 Centrium Place
332-6 Ave. S.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2P 0B2
Email: lloyd.robertson@gov.ab.ca
Phone: 403-297-8444
Fax: 403-297-4311
Alberta SPCA
Terra Johnston, Executive Director
10806 – 124 Street NW
Edmonton, AB T5M 0H3
Email: execdir@albertaspca.org
Phone: 780-447-3600
Fax: 780-447-4748
Calgary Humane Society
Mark Takhar, Executive Director
Brad Nichols, Manager of Animal Cruelty Investigations
4455 110th AVE SE
Calgary, Alberta T2C 2T7
Email: general.inquiries@calgaryhumane.ca or admin@calgaryhumane.ca
Phone: 403-205-4455
Fax: 403-723-6050
SAMPLE LETTER
To Whom It Concerns,
On April 18, a student at the Alberta College of Art and Design brought a live chicken into the school’s cafeteria. In front of spectators, the student slowly cut the throat of the writhing and screaming bird. The student proceeded to bleed the chicken out, remove the head and feathers and drop the bird into a pot–all under the guise of performance art.
Art never justifies harming and inflicting fear, pain and suffering upon another sentient being. The student`s actions must be recognized as what they are: blatant abuse and cruelty inflicted upon a defenseless animal.
Further, the student`s actions may be a sign of psychopathology. A large body of research indicates that those who inflict pain and suffering upon human victims start by inflicting it upon non-human animals.
It is important that the student who committed this cruelty be prosecuted by authorities and disciplined by the school (along with undergoing mandatory psychological treatment).
I am urging the school to discipline the student who committed this act of cruelty and to adopt a formal policy prohibiting animal cruelty. I am also requesting that the school take steps to counteract the unacceptable message of cruelty and violence promoted by this student’s actions and invite CETFA`s (Canadians for the Ethical Treatment of Farm Animals) humane educator to give a presentation to students, faculty and staff.
I am also contacting the Chief of Calgary Police Service, the Chief Crown Prosecutor, the Alberta SPCA, and the Calgary Humane Society, and politely urging them to lay charges against the student under Section 2 of Alberta’s provincial Animal Protection Act, which prohibits causing an animal to be in distress (defined in s.1(2) as including animals [who] are injured, in pain, suffering, abused, or subjected to undue hardship).
Thank you for taking the time to consider this urgent appeal.
why upon us do you test,
rob us of our lives,
our chances to nest.to whom i hope this concerns.
what madness here,
it is very clear.
that life is something
some do not
hold dear.
as an artist, i know
that art is not about
blood spilling.
art is about beauty,
and kindness,
so thrilling.
but the insanity of
this act
is far colder than
chilling.
this student is headed
down a twisted path,
serial killer, or murderer,
trapped by his own
inner wrath.
Karen Lyons Kalmenson
Trackbacks
- On April 18, 2013, a student at the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, brought a live chicken into the school cafeteria. In front of spectators, the student slowly cut the throat of the writhing, screaming bird. | My Blo
- On April 18, 2013, a student at the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, brought a live chicken into the school cafeteria. In front of spectators, the student slowly cut the throat of the writhing, screaming bird. | My Blo
Our Compass 
to whom i hope this concerns.
what madness here,
it is very clear.
that life is something
some do not
hold dear.
as an artist, i know
that art is not about
blood spilling.
art is about beauty,
and kindness,
so thrilling.
but the insanity of
this act
is far colder than
chilling.
this student is headed
down a twisted path,
serial killer, or murderer,
trapped by his own
inner wrath.
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if this idiot manages to grow up, we can expect some slaughter story like the horrors in the schools and the movie-house, etc, Maybe he won’t grow up-we can hope
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this is outrageous and it really really makes me angry! I hate it when peope do shitty things then call it art! Lets just call it what it really is – animal cruelty! Karen makes some of the most beautiful art and she NEVER harms animals she does quite the opposite she educates about animals and advocates for them with her art in her paintings and poetry! Karen is a REAL artists this littlle boy is a serial killer in the making! Emails sent and shared in several places thanks Stacey and Karen thats a great poem!!
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thank you florence, you have put a smile on a sad, old lady’s face…your heart is huge!
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¨DISGRACEFUL BEHAVOUR BY A PUPIL… HE SHOULD BE DISMISSED FORM THE SCHOOL AT ONCE… WHAT A SHOCKING THING TO DO…
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AWFUL!!!
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I wish there was someone in that cafeteria that would have stopped that sick & disturbed human from committed this insanity, really, I would have saved the chicken and kicked the shit out of the guy! Damn it! Sent and shared
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Same here, Dominique! In the time it took him to ‘slowly’ cut the chickens neck, I would absolutely have stepped in and done something about it…
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Reblogged this on Loki’s Gift.
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Hi just received this reply…
Thank you for your recent email. Everyone at the Alberta SPCA was shocked to hear what happened at the Calgary college. It is appalling that a student would kill an animal as part of an art project.
The incident was reported to the Calgary police, and it is their investigation. Our peace officers will offer assistance if asked, but at this point we only know what has been reported in the news media.
Regards,
Terra Johnston
Executive Director
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Thank you so much for sharing.
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Reblogged this on My Blog spiritandanimal.wordpress.com.
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This is disgusting. Good for you for letting us know.
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