TORONTO, Ont. — Ontario livestock carriers are teaming up to raise awareness of the repercussions they’ve suffered from a single case of mad cow disease discovered in Alberta in May.

The coalition plans to raise the profile of the plight of the province’s livestock haulers with both government and the public.

“It’s been a tough road since that one case of BSE emerged this past spring”, says Greg Hutton of Lloyd Hutton Transport. “A lot of attention has been given to cattle farmers in recent weeks, and we acknowledge that their businesses and livelihoods are at stake, too, and believe me, we sympathize. But, as is often the case, the guys that have invested lots of money into specialized equipment to move live animals appear to have been forgotten”.

The coalition says Ontario livestock transporters have experienced a decline in revenue of about 85 per cent since May. Given the specialized nature of their equipment, few have been able to shift to other types of freight.

“I believe that we stand a better chance in getting a proper hearing of our views as a united organization, as opposed to lobbying as individual carriers,” says Hutton.

Livestock haulers interested in taking part should call Hutton at 519-353-5601.