Investigative photo provided by Animal Justice.
Animal Justice and Coyote Watch Canada have launched an application to review penned dog hunting under Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights.
Penned dog hunting (also known as “train and trial areas”) is a practice where hunters set dogs loose in enclosed areas to chase, maim, and kill rabbits, foxes, and coyotes. The Ontario Government stopped issuing licenses for dog penned hunting in 1997 to phase-out the practice, but the province now wants to expand the issuance of licenses for this cruel practice.
The two non-profits are requesting the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry review and revoke the new regulations, and to close all existing penned dog hunting areas.
“It has been clear all along that penned dog hunting is horrifically cruel,” says Kaitlyn Mitchell, Director of Legal Advocacy at Animal Justice. “Packs of hunting dogs chase, maim, fight, and kill captive wildlife who have no way to escape. Unfortunately, we now know that in deciding to expand penned dog hunting, Ontario has also blatantly ignored serious public health risks associated with these facilities, including the risk of transmitting rabies and a dangerous tapeworm known as E. multilocularis that is increasingly present in wild coyotes and foxes. Once transmitted to humans, E. multilocularis can cause a deadly disease that often goes undetected for years, discovered only when it is too late to treat. We’re asking the Minister to review this reckless decision to expand an archaic bloodsport that is illegal in all other provinces and has no place in modern society.”
You can see a shocking investigation from a dog hunting pen released by Animal Justice by clicking here. Read their full submission by clicking here.
