These facilities are not…

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86757

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These facilities are not well-maintained -- there's little oversight and the provincial government and natural resources minister are now being transparent about how they're regulated. However, it's clear there is pressure on the province to expand these facilities from the association of 33,000 people involved in this sport.

Hunters trap the animals and sell them to these facilities. This is animal exploitation. The dogs trained to hunt the rabbits and coyotes are also exploited. Both in these training facilities and at competitions.

Most concerning is that this is being done in the parameters of a sport or competition. There is no data to suggest that rabbit or coyote populations are overgrown (as per the ministry's own numbers). There has been a handful of coyote sighting in the last year near cities and towns because their habitats are being encroached upon.

These facilities should not exist in 2023.