Animal Justice and Coyote Watch Canada have filed an application seeking for legislative review under Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights, aiming to end the practice of penned dog hunting, a disturbing bloodsport where hunters send dogs to chase and maul coyotes, foxes, and rabbits in enclosed spaces.
This fall, Ontario bowed down to the hunting extremists and reversed a ban on new dog hunting pens, which had been in place in 1997. The province is now allowing hunters to open up new “train and trial” areas, where captive wild animals are chased and often killed by dogs in competitions. Ontario is the only Canadian province where this sickening practice is legal, and it’s been banned in most US states.
The Environmental Bill of Rights is a cornerstone statute that gives Ontarians the right to request a review when a law or policy needs to be improved to protect the environment.
Animal Justice and Coyote Watch Canada are requesting the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to review and revoke the new regulations, and ideally close down all existing penned dog hunting areas.
In our application, we explain why allowing “train and trial” areas are in direct conflict with Ontario’s animal welfare legislation and the federal Criminal Code, which both prohibit organized animal fighting—often an inevitable result of these hunts.
Animals Regularly Killed in Penned Dog Hunts
Last year, when Ontario was considering reversing the ban on new penned dog hunting areas, the hunting lobby misled lawmakers, denying that animals are ever hurt or killed in these pens—but this is completely false.
Animal Justice released a shocking investigation exposing violence and cruelty to animals in penned hunts. Our footage shows hunters admitting that dogs frequently chase and maul live animals in enclosures, and that pen owners have to bring in new coyotes to restock the pens, because dogs catch them throughout the year.
We also witnessed terrified coyotes running for their lives, and hunters threatening violence toward dogs who don’t chase them viciously enough.
We also found private Facebook groups where hunters shared disturbing photos and videos of dog hunts, including a man smiling at the camera while standing on a coyote’s head, a person dragging a dead coyote along the ground while encouraging puppies to chase the body, and videos of hunters encouraging dogs to maul dying coyotes.
Stop Penned Dog Hunting in Ontario
More than four out of five Canadians oppose hunting animals for sport, and it’s unacceptable that Ontario is allowing this cruelty to expand.
Please join us in calling on the Ontario government to not issue new penned dog hunting licenses, and to close the last remaining dog hunting pens in the province.
