April 14, 2023. Public Input…

April 14, 2023.

Public Input Coordinator
MNRF Fish and Wildlife Policy Branch – Wildlife Section
300 Water Street
5th Floor, North Tower
Peterborough, ON K9J 3C7
c.c. Premier of Ontario
Legislative Building
Queen's Park
Toronto ON M7A 1A1

Honourable Graydon Smith,
Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry
Whitney Block, 99 Wellesley street West,
Toronto, ON M7A 1W3

RE: ERO number 019-3685: Proposal Summary to amend the Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, and associated regulations to allow for the issuance
of licences of new dog train and trial areas, and to allow the transfer of licences.

Dear Premier Ford,

I am writing in response to ERO number 019-3685 to express our deepest concern for your government’s proposal to allow new dog training and trialing compounds to be established in Ontario and current licences to be transferred.

We were an active participant when changes were made to the Game and Fish Act under the leadership of Premier Mike Harris and the passage of the now named Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act in 1997. We fought to have training and trialing compounds prohibited altogether. However, a compromise was reached. The new Act prohibited the establishment of new dog training facilities using wild animals, but it grandfathered existing operations. The intent was to phase out them out through attrition because Ministry staff recognized the inherent cruelty of these operations which involved trapping coyotes, foxes, and rabbits to be supplied to operators of compounds, a fenced in area where dogs would be permitted to chase, harass and often kill these wild animals. Since 1997 this policy worked well.

However, under your leadership, Mr. Ford, you now intend to permit one of the most egregious forms of cruelty to continue: pitting domestic dogs against confined wildlife. The Ministry provides very little information about these operations and that is, likely, no accident. If Ontarians knew that these activities were approved by your government, I know and your officials likely know, they would be horrified.

We suggest the following solution. Transition compounds that use wildlife to facilities that use scent tracking to train dogs with no confined wildlife involved. This humane policy would allow dog owners the opportunity to safely train their dogs to track and retrieve without the cruelty and would allow these businesses to remain open.

I urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to end this cruelty. We have presented the government with a humane solution. However, should the current proposal be implemented by your government, we intend to publicly expose the reality of these facilities and the government’s complicity in perpetuating the cruel activities that even previous Ministry staff knew were seriously problematic.

Sincerely,