For years, animal advocates have been fighting to shut down the horrific fur industry. It’s been a long, hard battle, but major victories in 2018 for fur-bearing animals have proven that times are finally changing! Over four million animals are…
Read More »
The holiday season is upon us! For many, this time of year represents peace, love and joy. But for animals confined on Canadian farms, there’s nothing kind or joyful about this time of year. Tragically, holiday feasts often fuel the…
Read More »
Ontario has announced that it’s amending its provincial slaughter regulations. The province will eliminate the need for a veterinarian to conduct post-mortem inspections at a slaughterhouse of an animal killed on a farm. However, a pre-slaughter inspection still needs to…
Read More »
After nearly three years of delay and obstruction, a bill to ban keeping whales and dolphins in captivity has finally passed through the Canadian Senate. Senators voted to pass Bill S-203 late on Tuesday, and the legislation will now make…
Read More »
Prosecutors in Oshawa, Ontario have withdrawn a criminal break and enter charge against animal advocate Malcolm Klimowicz, who was charged earlier this year after filming severe neglect and cruelty on a mink farm. The charge had prompted massive rallies outside…
Read More »
After a courtroom showdown and years of advocacy by Animal Justice, the federal government finally introduced legislation today to close Canada’s bestiality loophole. The new law also strengthens animal fighting offences. Animal Justice welcomes this news, but believes it is…
Read More »
We can’t thank you enough—#Voiceless4AnimalJustice was a smashing success. Together, we raised $28,164.32 for animals, exceeding our $25,000 fundraising goal! For three weeks, participants from coast to coast educated their friends, families and the public about why Canada’s animal protection…
Read More »
Fall is the in the air, and autumn fashion accessories are hitting the streets! Many products are still made with leather, fur and other animal-derived materials, but happily, cruelty-free fashion has never been easier. More and more brands are now…
Read More »
The province of Nova Scotia passed strong new animal protection legislation this week, becoming the first province in the country to make cat declawing illegal. The new laws also put an end to tail docking, ear cropping, devocalizing dogs, and…
Read More »
Records obtained by Animal Justice under freedom of information show that between 2014 and 2017, the University of British Columbia (UBC) received almost $2 million from at least eight separate dairy industry sources. The majority of the funds came from…
Read More »
Animal Justice is urging the federal government to fund innovative industries that save the lives of animals by creating humane, animal-free products. Specifically, Animal Justice is asking the government to invest in developing alternatives to animal testing, and invest in…
Read More »
A whistleblower who exposed horrific suffering on multiple Ontario fur farms will face a criminal trial. Malcolm Klimowicz was charged with break and enter earlier this year for visiting a mink farm near Oshawa, Ontario and filming the disturbing conditions…
Read More »
A new website exposing the truth about the number of animals killed by the meat industry has just launched in Canada. Animal Clock, already available in the US and the UK, raises awareness about the vast number of animals raised and…
Read More »
Every year in Canada, thousands of draft horses are exported by air to Japan, where they will be slaughtered for meat. Draft horses are by nature large. When horses of this size are packed together in small crates, they are…
Read More »
Sault Ste. Marie just passed a progressive new animal care and control by-law that will mean greater protections for animals. Among other things, the by-law enhances animal care standards, bans circuses from using live animals in performances, and prohibits new…
Read More »
On June 8, 2018 Animal Justice celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a glamorous gala at The Burroughes in downtown Toronto. This inspirational evening included a blue carpet entrance and photo backdrop, an memorable program, fabulous vegan food, and a rooftop…
Read More »
Van Boekel Farms has a habit of getting itself in the news. In 1994, the family pig farming business and its owner—Eric Van Boekel—were convicted for spilling manure into waterways, damaging the water and surrounding environment. Then, in 2011, they…
Read More »
Veterinarians in British Columbia will no longer be permitted to declaw cats, after the province’s College of Veterinarians banned the practice. The College of Veterinarians is the self-regulatory body for the veterinary profession, and sets standards of practice that vets…
Read More »
Last fall, you may remember that Animal Justice filed a lawsuit to protect the mountain lion, northern bobwhite, and dozens of other threatened and endangered species in the province of Ontario. Represented by lawyers from Ecojustice, we were concerned that…
Read More »
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a “What We Heard” report about its planned overhaul of Canadian food labelling regulations. What We Heard reports are issued after stakeholders are consulted on proposed policy changes; themes in stakeholder feedback…
Read More »
Between January 2015 and November 2017, more than 470,000 farmed animals burned alive on Canadian farms. These animals would have endured frightening and agonizing deaths, trapped in cages or stalls with no chance to escape the smoke and flames. Most…
Read More »
Slaughter reports from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada show we killed over 800,756,236 land animals for food in 2017—up from 771 million in 2016 and 750 million in 2015. The growth is mostly because more chickens are being killed for meat.…
Read More »
Easter is just around the corner, and with it comes family gatherings, chocolate, Easter egg hunts and gifts. It’s also a time of year when local animal rescue groups brace for the impact of thousands of people buying bunnies as…
Read More »
In November 2016, Animal Justice filed a legal complaint with authorities over a misleading ad campaign that suggested that consuming of dairy is essential for human health. The ads, sponsored by the Dairy Farmers of Canada, were crafted to appear…
Read More »
This is a guest post from Fern Levitt, the award-winning documentary filmmaker behind Sled Dogs, the first film to expose the brutal reality of the dogsled racing and tourism industry. March 3, 2018 marked the start of the 46th annual Iditarod dogsled race in…
Read More »
TransLink Transit Police in Vancouver have ticketed an animal advocate for spreading awareness of animal cruelty by showing farm and slaughterhouse footage to passersby on the street. Geoff Rigear is a former undercover investigator on Canadian farms who now runs…
Read More »
Shock and outrage is spreading across Canada after news reports revealed that a B.C. couple butchered and ate a potbelly pig whom they adopted from the local SPCA. Molly, the potbelly pig, was rescued by the Cowichan & District branch…
Read More »
Two men accused of vicious animal cruelty, dogfighting, and firearm charges in Chatham, Ontario have escaped criminal conviction. A judge in the high-profile case threw out 67 charges against John Robert and Michel Gagnon after ruling that the case had…
Read More »
The federal government presented a new bill that updates the Fisheries Act this week, including restrictions on capturing wild whales and dolphins for the purpose of keeping them in captivity. The amendments would still allow exceptions to rescue cetaceans who…
Read More »
Nice try, Big Dairy. The dairy industry recently launched #Februdairy, a social media campaign aiming to promote dairy milk during the month of February. But before the campaign could even officially start, it quickly became a marketing failure. When public…
Read More »
At Animal Justice, we use the law to help animals. Sometimes that means using animal protection laws, but often it means using other laws, unrelated to animals, to hold industry accountable and shine a spotlight on the abuse animals endure.…
Read More »
British Columbia was in the news late last year for the incredible move to ban grizzly bear hunting province-wide. But the province is still no paradise for other animals. The B.C. government is quietly preparing to weaken a long list…
Read More »
Last year, we told you that the federal government is overhauling Canada’s decades-old slaughter regulations as part of a food safety modernization initiative. We told you that in the entire introduction to the update (over 22,000 words), animal protection wasn’t…
Read More »
Canada is experiencing an especially frigid winter, with temperatures feeling as low as -40° C even in southern parts of the country like Toronto. Many people will ride out this cold snap in the comfort of their homes, or bundle…
Read More »
Earlier this year, Health Canada published much-anticipated draft revisions to Canada’s outdated food guide. The proposed healthy eating recommendations would encourage Canadians to eat “vegetables, fruit, whole grains and protein-rich foods, especially plant-based sources of protein” and to mostly eat…
Read More »
Winter’s coming to Canada! Temperatures are plummeting, and many of us are scrambling to buy a new winter coat in preparation for the deep freeze that lies ahead. Tragically, some jacket and parka brands still use down fill for insulation,…
Read More »
Animals won big-time in Montreal’s municipal elections this weekend! Voters elected mayoral candidate Valérie Plante of Projet Montréal, and sent incumbent mayor Denis Coderre packing. Not only does mayor-elect Plante become the first woman to lead Montreal, she is also…
Read More »
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) just fined a meat company $200,000 for five counts of false labelling. The fine was imposed after Eastern Meat Solutions was busted for packaging beef products as prime rib, Angus, and sirloin—when they were…
Read More »
On Thanksgiving, many Canadians give thanks for the wonderful things in our lives, including friends, family, and health. But turkeys killed and eaten for Thanksgiving dinner have nothing to be thankful for. Raised in appalling conditions on Canada’s industrial turkey…
Read More »
This week marks a gruesome anniversary: One year ago, a truck carrying 180 pigs to slaughter rolled over outside the notorious Fearmans Pork slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ontario. Dozens of baby pigs died in the horrific crash. For animal advocates on…
Read More »
The Canadian meat industry did NOT have a good week! Two disturbing meat stories grabbed headlines, reminding the public that animal cruelty, contamination, and false labelling run rampant in animal slaughter and processing. A Vancouver Sun article exposed B.C. slaughterhouse…
Read More »
As part of the Healthy Eating Strategy, Health Canada is proposing to restrict the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children. Two approaches are being considered: Option 1: banning advertising food to children if it exceeds 5 percent of…
Read More »
It’s Shark Week, an annual Discovery Channel celebration of all things shark. Did you know that sharks have brain-to-body mass ratios similar to mammals and birds, and love to investigate and play? Sadly, 100 million sharks are killed by humans…
Read More »
Canada’s smallest province just took a huge legal leap forward for animals by banning the use of exotic animals in circuses! This groundbreaking rule is part of a larger package of new regulations for animal protection in the province. Although…
Read More »
The federal government is developing Canada first-ever food policy! A national food policy would address the entire food cycle—from the moment seeds are planted, until the food is prepared and eaten. The policy will set a long-term vision for the health,…
Read More »
The University of Windsor is opening a cutting edge new research institution: the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods (CCAAM). The first of its kind in Canada, and the CCAAM aims to expose the ineffectiveness of animal testing models,…
Read More »
Plant-based food companies can no longer use terms like ‘milk’ and ‘cheese’ to describe their products, according a ruling by European Court of Justice released this week. The case was sparked by a complaint against German company TofuTown, which sells…
Read More »
Summer is in full swing in Canada. But when the temperature rises, so too can the risk to animal safety. Animals can suffer in hot weather just like we do. Although it is becoming socially unacceptable to leave animals alone in cars, far too many animals—especially dogs—still die from…
Read More »
Law professor Alain Roy and a group of law students from the Université de Montreal filed a lawsuit today, asking the Superior Court of Quebec to impose an injunction to stop the Nomadfest Urban Rodeo from taking place this summer. Montreal has come under fire…
Read More »
Three B.C. men have been sentenced to jail time after pleading guilty to violently abusing cows at Chilliwack Cattle Sales—Canada’s largest dairy farm. As reported in The Vancouver Sun, two workers were sentenced to 60 days in jail, to be…
Read More »
Compassion won the day in Oshawa, Ontario this week after police prosecutors finally withdrew a disciplinary charge against an officer who helped a kitten in distress. Shockingly, police officer Beth Richardson was being prosecuted by the police for a simple act of kindness—rescuing a…
Read More »
Slaughter report from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada show we killed 771,625,940 land animals for food in 2016—up from 750 million farmed animals killed the previous year. The growth is mostly because more chickens than ever are being killed for meat.…
Read More »
By Camille Labchuk, Executive Director The commercial seal slaughter has long been a bloody stain on Canada’s reputation. Every spring, the Canadian government lets sealers club, shoot, and skin baby seals in Atlantic Canada—most of them only a few weeks or months…
Read More »
The City of Toronto just opened a public consultation to help decide how to regulate exotic animals and traveling zoos. It’s time to have your say! This is a rare opportunity for Toronto residents to help shut down the cruel exotic…
Read More »
As part of a food safety modernization initiative, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is overhauling our decades-old slaughter regulations. Though it’s unsurprising that the focus of the new food safety regulations is food safety, it’s concerning that the welfare of…
Read More »
Committee hearings got underway this week on Bill S-203, a Senate bill that would ban keeping whales and dolphins in captivity in Canada. This groundbreaking bill would protect sensitive and complex whales and dolphins from a being imprisoned in tiny tanks,…
Read More »
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is overhauling food labelling regulations, which include animal welfare claims on meat, dairy, and egg packaging like “free range” and “grass fed.” But instead of cracking down on the epidemic of false animal welfare claims, the…
Read More »
See update re animals in condos: Ontario creates new rules for disputes A recent article by CBC News highlights how hard it can be to find pet-friendly accommodations in Toronto’s competitive rental market. Maybe you have experienced finding the ideal house…
Read More »
Access to information documents obtained by the Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals and reviewed by Animal Justice reveal that new proposed animal transport regulations were drafted in collusion with the animal agriculture industry itself. In correspondence to the public, Agriculture…
Read More »
Hundreds of millions of farmed animals suffer and die every year while being trucked to slaughter. Tragically for animals in Canada, our country has the worst, most outdated animal transport laws in the western world. After decades of public pressure,…
Read More »
How the Proposed Veal Code of Practice Fails Calves and What You Can Do to Help Calves used by the Canadian veal industry endure tremendous suffering. These babies are stolen away from their mothers shortly after birth, then isolated in tiny crates…
Read More »
Animal Justice is national animal law advocacy organization that leads the legal fight for animal protection in Canada. Our lawyers work to pass strong new animal protection legislation at all levels of government, enforce the laws already on the books,…
Read More »
The year 2016 was a landmark one for Animal Justice. We celebrated important legal victories on behalf of animals, and we also took the time to recognize some of the outstanding advocates who made that work possible this year with our…
Read More »
The federal, provincial, and territorial ministers of agriculture have just released the Calgary Statement, which outlines priorities for the next wave of agriculture policy. The government is now seeking feedback on these priority areas until November 30, 2016. Please fill…
Read More »
Prince Edward Island just bowed to the fur industry by giving hunters and trappers permission to kill even more animals this upcoming season. The move comes instead of heeding Animal Justice’s call to restrict fur trapping or even end the cruel practice altogether in the province. Environment…
Read More »
Animal Justice won a victory against the cruel circus industry today, with news that the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has removed misleading ads paid for by the Shrine Circus. The ads were removed following complaints made last month by Animal Justice and…
Read More »
By Anna Pippus, J.D., director of farmed animal advocacy for Animal Justice Cover photo by Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals. The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) has released its draft code of practice for the care and handling of…
Read More »
By Elizabeth Schoales, BA, MA, PhD, LLB (candidate). Last month a slim majority of British citizens voted for the UK to leave the European Union. It’s impossible to predict what’s going to unfold but if this happens it will affect…
Read More »
A meat brand is suing a slaughtering facility for supplying it with meat from an animal who had cancer. The lawsuit claims damages of $725,867. The slaughterhouse had previously had its licence suspended for lacking food safety controls. Canada’s meat…
Read More »
By Camille Labchuk, Executive Director of Animal Justice. The Supreme Court of Canada sent shock waves around the world last week when it ruled in the case of R. v. D.L.W. that most forms of bestiality are legal in Canada. According to…
Read More »
Animals got important political recognition last weekend at the Green Party of Ontario annual convention in Calabogie, Ontario. Party members voted overwhelmingly in favour of four separate policy resolutions related to animal protection, including one that adopts key measures in Animal Justice’s…
Read More »
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service is under fire again after reports that a conservation officer unnecessarily executed a healthy black bear cub. Tiana Jackson of Dawson Creek, B.C. reports that she found an apparently orphaned baby black bear cub near…
Read More »
This is the tale of two popular Canadian parka companies: Canada Goose and Moose Knuckles. Both use fur trim, both charge a hefty price for their luxury jackets ($600-1000), and both are allegedly deceiving consumers about the true nature of…
Read More »
Slaughter reports from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada reveal that we killed at least 750,409,569 land animals for food in 2015. This is an increase from previous years, mostly due to an increase in the number of chickens killed. In recent…
Read More »
Animal Justice is thrilled to announce an exclusive contest for tickets to the first Canadian screenings of the film Unlocking the Cage at the Hot Docs festival in early May in Toronto. The film screens on Monday, May 2 at 3:30 pm, Tuesday, May…
Read More »
A new OXFAM report takes aim at the human rights violations of the poultry industry. The report reveals many disturbing practices, including: Worker turnover can be as high as 100 percent each year. So few people are willing to do…
Read More »
Animal Justice went to court in Chatham, Ontario today to fight to save 21 dogs rescued from an alleged dogfighting ring last October from being killed. Shockingly, the Ontario SPCA is asking a court to order the execution of the rescued…
Read More »
Two men have been sentenced to prison for their role in smuggling Guatemalan teens into the U.S., forcing them to work on an egg farm while living in squalid conditions. The teens’ families had been told they’d be attending school.…
Read More »
We just got some amazing news — the Ontario government is abandoning its bad plan to let hunters to gun down more wolves and coyotes! We told you earlier this year about Ontario’s attempts to weaken hunting laws so that wolves and coyotes…
Read More »
Today, the Montreal SPCA announced that a former veal facility worker has been found guilty of animal cruelty under provincial law. The worker was sentenced to pay $4000 in fines and is prohibited from possessing more than five animals for…
Read More »
The City of Ottawa is the latest municipality to consider banning the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in pet shops. Instead, shops would be allowed to adopt out animals from humane societies, shelters, and rescues. Ottawa is in good company: Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, Richmond,…
Read More »
In June 2014, Canada’s largest dairy farm was exposed for shocking cruelty to animals. Footage secretly recorded by Mercy For Animals showed workers violently beating animals with their fists, boots, and even a rake. Many animals were shown with gruesome…
Read More »
News broke earlier this week that the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) is asking a court to order the execution of 21 dogs who were rescued from an alleged dog fighting operation last October. Meanwhile,…
Read More »
Vancouver Aquarium has filed a lawsuit against Gary Charbonneau, the filmmaker behind Vancouver Aquarium Uncovered, which exposed cruelty and corruption at the aquarium. The notice of claim can be viewed here. The lawsuit is for copyright violation. Essentially, Vancouver Aquarium…
Read More »
Written by Alex Ciccone* In a recent blog post, Executive Director Camille Labchuk explained how a recent policy issued by the Ontario Human Rights Commission could protect vegans from facing discrimination because of their beliefs about animal use and abuse.…
Read More »
Today, the federal government announced that it is giving an additional $1.75 million to the dairy industry, on top of $12 million already provided under the government’s Growing Forward 2 program. The announcement was made by the new Minister of…
Read More »
It’s no secret that the meat industry puts animal welfare at the very bottom of its priority list. But a new interview with Ontario Federation of Agriculture president Don McCabe on CBC radio’s As It Happens really takes the cake.…
Read More »
Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is preparing to increase the numbers of wolf and coyotes hunted in Ontario. The proposed changes will allow unlimited hunting of coyotes in northern Ontario, remove the game seal requirement for wolves and coyotes in northern Ontario, and…
Read More »
Vancouver-based filmmaker Gary Charbonneau has just released Vancouver Aquarium Uncovered, a new documentary that reveals cruelty and corruption at Canada’s most famous marine park. The documentary features interviews with leading experts, examines the suffering endured by whales and dolphins in…
Read More »
Canada’s new agriculture minister has announced his chief of staff: Mary Jean McFall, whose family owns one of Canada’s largest egg producers—Burnbrae Farms—and who used to serve as a board member of Egg Farmers of Ontario. In an epic Freudian…
Read More »
By Camille Labchuk, Executive Director Does your worldview include a deep respect for animals and their rights? Do you choose to opt out of using and consuming animal products for ethical reasons? Are you vegetarian or vegan for ethical reasons?…
Read More »
Last November, Taylor Freeman, a Vancouver fur protester, was told by the Vancouver Police Department that if he ever so much as walked past Snowflake Furs again, he would be arrested for criminal harassment. Snowflake Furs is Western Canada’s largest…
Read More »
Court documents reveal dozens of reptiles have been kept in appalling conditions at The Reptile Guy in Mission, B.C. The Reptile Guy bills itself as a rescue and education centre. Between 2010 and 2013, four separate animal cruelty complaints were filed…
Read More »
Animal advocates had good reason to be optimistic that the new Parliament would start taking animal issues seriously after the strong results in the 2015 federal election. Humane Voters Canada – Animal Justice’s new political wing – endorsed and campaigned…
Read More »
B.C.’s Ministry of Forests, Lands and Nature Resource Operations is gearing up to change its regulations to allow unlimited hunting of wolves and to triple the hunting of grizzlies in the Peace Region of B.C. Animal Justice has submitted formal…
Read More »
Earlier this year, Animal Justice filed a false advertising complaint with federal regulators against Maple Lodge Farms. Among other false and misleading claims, the complaint cited Maple Lodge’s use of visual imagery that didn’t resemble its actual operations whatsoever. At…
Read More »
The federal government is gearing up to hold hearings to determine whether to establish a Canadian Pork Promotion and Research Agency. The Agency would be funded by levies on Canadian and imported pork. Each pig would be taxed $0.75, generating…
Read More »
By Camille Labchuk, Executive Director Animals got their day in court this week, thanks to Animal Justice. On Monday, November 9, law professor Peter Sankoff and I went to the Supreme Court of Canada to intervene in a groundbreaking appeal.…
Read More »
As the dust settles on the long and hard-fought Canadian federal election of 2015, it’s a good time to take a closer look at what the results mean for animal protection in Canada. After all, while animal issues often get…
Read More »
This month, the Canadian agriculture industry released a draft of its revised code of practice for chickens and turkeys. The public is invited to comment on this draft for consideration before the final is published next year. This code of…
Read More »
