I firmly reject the Ministry…

I firmly reject the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s proposal to allow new licenses and the transfer of licenses for train and trial areas in Ontario.

Canada already has some of the most lax (i.e., worst) animal welfare standards in the Western world.
Penned dog hunting facilities are cruel to the wild animals that are subjected to various methods used to train dogs to hunt, and there is no way to obviate this cruelty. Wildlife should never be taken from their natural environments and held captive by hunters. It’s especially cruel to use rabbits, coyotes, and foxes as pawns for hunters to train dogs and hold competitions.

Opening applications for train and trial spaces after 25 years is a massive step backward into the past, and is a huge step backward for a nation (and province) that at needs to move forward in terms of taking animal welfare seriously. These facilities have no place in Ontario. Instead of opening new applications, the province’s existing 24 facilities need to be closed immediately, and the province needs to stop pandering to its small but extremely well-funded and connected hunting lobby, which does not represent the sentiment of the majority of Ontario's residents.