Hearings now complete, Senate Committee study to follow An Opinion Editorial by Barry Kent MacKay On April 11, 2024, the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs held a hearing with stakeholders to consider Bill S-15, an Act to Amend the Criminal Code and the Wild Animal and Plant […]
SUPPORT BILL S-15! A BIG STEP FORWARD FOR CAPTIVE WILD ANIMALS IN CANADA Bill S-15 is now in the midst of 2nd reading hearings. They should be completed by the end of May 2024. Elephants and great apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, orangutans) are highly sentient animals who have […]
Escapes, human injuries and deaths, animal suffering and perpetual problems for municipalities the result of lack of exotic animal regulation in Ontario While some reporting of the escaped kangaroos treat the incidents very lightly, they are actually a sign of a very problematic, broken system in Ontario. Unlike most other […]
An Opinion Commentary by Barry Kent MacKay (October 2023) Those of us involved in conservation keep reading in news articles that rhino horn is used as an aphrodisiac, presumably a primal form of Viagra. Nope. Not true; it’s used for everything from dagger handles to headaches, but not to help […]
By Rob Laidlaw Imagine being in a tiny tank, drawer or container where you can’t even stretch out. While understanding of the basic biological, behavioural and social needs of wild animals in captivity has grown substantially in recent decades, some animals are still subjected to longstanding, outdated, inhumane husbandry conditions […]
This 2013 blog has an important message that should still resonate with parents today. Guest blogger N. Glen Perrett suggests getting kids out into nature as an alternative to looking at animals in captivity. You don’t need studies to realize that children aren’t receiving the same amount of exercise or […]
We’re pleased to report that St. Catharines City Council voted unanimously to reject Reptilia’s request for an exemption to its animal control bylaw at its December 12th meeting.This is a significant step forward in the protection of reptiles and amphibians in Ontario. Reptilia is a commercial reptile zoo business that […]
