By Melissa Devlin | Manager, Annual Donor Relations & Engagement
We can report that Bill S-5, is currently under consideration in the House of Commons right now. The federal government has committed to end toxicity testing on animals by 2035 and included the goal of promoting non-animal methods in Bill S-5. But the bill needs to be strengthened to ensure the commitment is met and the government will take clear actions to develop, promote and prioritize alternatives.
Hundreds of thousands of animals are used each year in Canada to test the safety of different substances. This is the most harmful type of animal use, with animals experiencing severe pain and distress before typically being killed. Fortunately, non-animal methods are increasingly available, and more are being developed. These alternative methods are more cost-effective, more efficient and more predictive of impacts on human health.
On Friday, December 9, MPs began a detailed review of the bill in the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. You can voice your support to members of the committee and to your MP to let them know Canada needs to act by including in the bill:
Requirements that ensure animal testing can only be used as a last resort, when alternative methods are not available;
Commitments to promote the development and adoption of non-animal methods;
A detailed roadmap to the elimination of animal testing as soon as possible.
Another federal government campaign was launched last month. e-4190 is calling upon the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food to halt the live export of horses for slaughter. The Liberal Party of Canada committed to banning the live export of horses for slaughter in its September 1, 2021, election campaign platform and in its December 16, 2021, mandate letter to the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau directed the Minister to deliver on the commitment to “ban the live export of horses for slaughter.” According to Statistics Canada, since September 2021, more than 2,000 horses have been shipped by air from Canada to Japan for slaughter for human consumption.
The Jane Goodall Act is still in its second reading debate in the Senate. Bill S-241, represents some of the strongest legislation for animal protection in the world and would protect the welfare of over 800 wild species. You can voice your support to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and your local MP, to support the Jane Goodall Act.
In other news, we are pleased to report that our 2022 Prosecution of Animal Abuse Conference, held online on November 24th and 25th, was met with astounding success! This conference was created to provide networking and professional development opportunities for prosecutors, attorneys and allied professionals across Canada. The goal is to share information and resources about animal abuse and the Violence Link in order to ensure that crimes against animals are prosecuted effectively and efficiently. We exceeded 2021’s record-breaking attendance numbers and there was excellent engagement between speakers, moderators and attendees alike. Attendees shared positive feedback and we look forward to continuing to grow this important conference in years to come.
On behalf of Humane Canada, thank you for your generous support of our work to end animal cruelty and improve animal protections in our country. Please continue to follow along with these important developments and voice your concerns to government. Thank you.
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By Melissa Devlin | Donor Engagement & Development Coordinator
By Melissa Devlin | Donor Engagement & Development Coordinator
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