On Saturday, August 9, 2025, Animal Justice hosted a peaceful vigil outside St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ontario. More than 100 people gathered to honour the dogs, pigs, and rodents who suffered and died in its secret laboratory.
The event paid tribute to victims of St. Joseph’s animal testing, and highlighted the cruel reality of the dog experiments. Attendees filled the memorial with flowers, banners, and photos. They shared words of remembrance and held a moment of silence for the animals whose lives were taken.
Local media covered the gathering. CTV News and The London Free Press amplified calls for the hospital to stop the cruelty and release the survivors.
These powerful tributes came just days after shocking revelations from whistleblowers, who described animals subjected to gruesome and outdated experiments. Researchers deliberately induced heart attacks in dogs lasting up to three hours, left pigs isolated with open wounds, and confined animals to cages for nearly the entire day before killing and discarding them.
Whistleblower Revelations
Animal Justice’s investigation revealed that St. Joseph’s animal testing includes highly invasive cardiac experiments on dogs, pigs, and rodents. The Investigative Journalism Bureau first broke the story in the National Post, based on testimony from two whistleblowers who approached Animal Justice while working inside the hospital’s laboratory.
The hospital claims these experiments are necessary because non-animal models do not exist. But Dr. Charu Chandrasekera, Canada’s leading expert in animal-free science, says published human PET/MRI data already allow researchers to track cardiac injury, inflammation, and healing in real time—without using animals.
Watch the powerful video and read our full exposé to see firsthand the cruelty whistleblowers exposed inside the lab.
A Call for Humane Science
Animal Justice, the Beagle Alliance, and farmed animal sanctuaries are committed to rehoming surviving dogs and pigs from the hospital’s laboratory. There is space waiting for them in safe, loving environments—but the hospital has not committed to releasing them.
Every surviving dog deserves the chance to heal in a safe and caring home. Urge St. Joseph’s Hospital to release them to waiting adopters and to end the use of all animals in experiments.
Animal Justice has launched a Whistleblower Tipline for anyone with information about animal testing in Canadian facilities. Whistleblowers are often the only way these hidden cruelties come to light—your information could help save lives and end the suffering of countless animals.
