To whom it may concern, I am…

To whom it may concern,

I am commenting to voice my concerns regarding the issuance of new licenses for dog trial and training areas. As an avid lover of wildlife, owner of hunting dogs, and volunteer rehabilitator of sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife, I can appreciate the necessary intersections between people, their livelihoods, and the environment. I understand the desire to have high caliber facilities to keep dogs active during the off months in contained areas. However, I do not believe that this desire should surpass the Ministry’s responsibility to protect wildlife from unnecessary suffering.

I do believe that additional dog trial facilities would cause undue suffering to the many affected species that contribute to the beauty and diversity of Ontario’s fauna. Confining wildlife to artificial habitats is in direct opposition to the sentiment of keeping wildlife wild. O. Reg. 668/98, s. 35 (5) of Conservation Act suggests that wildlife kept in dog trial facilities must have appropriate access to veterinary care or humane euthanasia in the event of injury. I would question the relevance of this suggestion in real life. How many injured animals from these facilities have been subject to veterinary care since 1997? How actively have these facilities been truly monitored for their care of wildlife - is access to veterinary care enforceable or is it a platitude placed in the imaginary event that these individuals would receive care? If facilities that exist now are not appropriately monitored, then how can we place our trust in the Ministry to monitor additional facilities?

As a firsthand caregiver for surrendered and seized wildlife victims of baiting I have seen the extent of cruelty and lack of regulation that runs rampant in these facilities. A general goal of hunting and trapping is to make a kill quickly and cleanly to reduce suffering. Any hunter worth their salt should be able to acknowledge that training a dog by handicapping wildlife is a poor excuse for raising a generation of successful hunting dogs. Exposing the same wild individuals to the stress of being hunted repetitively is a poor excuse for maintaining the balance between taking from nature and giving back to nature. I do not stand with the hunters who wish to see an increase in these facilities - who wish to take the easy route by undercutting the treatment of Ontario’s wildlife. I humbly ask that the Ministry acknowledge their responsibility to protect the spirit and intent of hunting and conservation by preventing an increase in licensure for these dated and unnecessary facilities.