TORONTO—In response to an Animal Justice lawsuit, the Ontario government has amended three penned dog hunting licences which appeared to permit illegal activity. The government has now agreed to amend the licences, which will make clear that hunters involved in this cruel practice must at least comply with the law.
In penned hunting facilities, dogs track, chase, and regularly catch captive wild animals, injuring, mauling, and even killing them. Ontario is the only jurisdiction in Canada that allows facilities to keep wild animals, including coyotes, foxes, and hares, in fenced-in areas to be used to “train” hunting dogs. Because of the cruelty involved, the archaic practice is also banned in most U.S. states.
Back in 1997, Ontario banned new licences to phase out the industry. But in 2023, bowing to extremist hunting groups, the Ontario government passed legislation to reopen licensing, reviving and expanding a dying industry, with new licences expected to be issued this year.
Through an access-to-information request earlier this year, Animal Justice uncovered that three existing licences contained what appeared to be unlawful provisions, permitting “trialing” competitions with large dogs—including coonhounds and bloodhounds—used against foxes in pens too small to meet regulatory requirements.
Using large dogs to hunt foxes in these smaller facilities would increase the risk of foxes being caught and ripped apart when chased by larger and faster dogs. Following these revelations, Animal Justice filed a lawsuit in June asking the Court to void the licences.
“Ontario’s decision to amend these licences is an important step in ensuring the law is respected. But penned dog hunting continues to cause immense suffering for animals, and Ontario remains the only province that still allows it,” said Kaitlyn Mitchell, director of legal advocacy at Animal Justice. “The government should be moving toward phasing out this barbaric sport, not expanding it.”
Despite government assurances that the industry is monitored, records obtained by Animal Justice show no inspections were carried out at penned hunting facilities between spring 2023 and early 2025. With no oversight, animals were left unprotected.
In 2023, Animal Justice and Coyote Watch Canada filed an application for review under the Environmental Bill of Rights, asking the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to revoke regulations passed by the Ford government to expand penned hunting in Ontario but the Ministry refused.
The groups have also worked to highlight significant zoonotic disease risks posed by these facilities.
Contact:
Kaitlyn Mitchell
Director of Legal Advocacy
[email protected]