Advocating for animals during COVID-19... read more

Continued Commitment to the Animals

Last September, during the federal election, platforms for all major parties included expanded policies to improve animal welfare.

The Liberal party won a minority government, and here is reminder of what they promised for animals:

• Introduce legislation to end cosmetic testing on animals as soon as 2023 and phase out toxicity testing on animals by 2035.
• Work with partners to curb illegal wildlife trade and end elephant and rhinoceros tusk trade in Canada.
• Introduce legislation to protect animals in captivity.
• Ban the live export of horses for slaughter.
• Work with partners to help women and children fleeing violence stay united with their companion animals.

As Parliament resumes, the mandate letters for Ministers reflect these promises. The mandate of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change includes introducing legislation to protect animals in captivity, working with partners to curb illegal wildlife trade and ending elephant and rhinoceros tusk trade in Canada.

The mandate of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food includes banning the live export of horses for slaughter, and the mandate of the Minister of Health includes introducing legislation to end testing on animals.

The government's continued commitment to promises made during the election campaign bodes well for progress for the animals.

Now is not the time to rest in advocating for the animals — it's more important than ever before to show your support for the government's continued commitment to the welfare of animals.

Major Improvements for Dogs Kept Outdoors in Ontario

A major update for standards around dogs kept outdoors in Ontario is currently underway. The proposed update takes aim at providing greater clarity and broader scope for how dogs should be kept outside and what their care must entail.

The previous standards for dogs kept outdoors were lacking and left considerable room for interpretation that would not be in the dog's best interest.

The update is a welcome change and the enhanced standards, if properly enforced, stand to drastically improve the welfare of dogs throughout the province.

The proposed update is substantial, including specific guidance around shelter requirements, access to food and water, tethering, grooming, and maintaining the wellbeing of sick and injured dogs. An excellent example of the quality of the proposed specificities is their standard for what types of collars are appropriate for a dog kept outdoors, noting that choke, pinch and prong collars must not be used.

One of the more nuanced, yet meaningful changes proposed is adjusting which dogs the standards apply to from dogs that "live primarily outdoors" to dogs that "are kept outdoors." The OHS also had the chance to review the update and provide feedback for the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

If the update is approved, it is expected to come into force on July 1, 2022.

The full details of the update are available online. Reach out to the Ministry of the Solicitor General to show your support for these enhanced standards.

Fur Farming Ban

Last month, Bill C-247 was brought forward in the House of Commons to end fur farming in Canada. The Bill is posed as a decisive and welcome execution of an exceptionally cruel industry that was already in decline.

In 2020, fur auctions in Canada had dwindled to a single auction located in North Bay that only sold 30 per cent of the fur offered at its March 2020 auction.

Canadians have shown a distaste for fur with their wallets, and the public health crisis has revealed the dangers the industry poses to people on top of its brutality towards animals.

The ban to end fur farming is overdue, and few will mourn the industry's passing.

Buddy & Belle: Matthew

Matthew needs your help.

A kind person found this one-year-old tabby cat in a ditch during a cold snap in January. Matthew was nothing but skin and bones. At the OHS, X-rays revealed he had several broken ribs. He also had an upper respiratory infection and blood tests showed he was anemic. Despite all of this, Matthew was a brave patient full of purrs.

The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under licence by the Ottawa Humane Society.

The Humane Canada Accreditation Program mark is a licenced mark of Humane Canada used under licence by the Ottawa Humane Society.