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Earlier this year, Health Canada published much-anticipated draft revisions to Canada’s outdated food guide.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 »
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 or apartment, only to have the landlord tell you no pets are…
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 »
