I’m deeply disturbed that…

I’m deeply disturbed that Ontario plans to reverse a province-wide ban on cruel new “train and trial areas”, where hunters participate in the blood sport of penned dog hunting.

The current "Doug Ford Government" has made many destructive decisions, including decimating education and health care and green space for the sake of profit, but this one is spectacular in its ignorance and cruelty. Is the government peopled completely by profit-grabbing barbarians?! Stop and think for a minute about what you are teaching your children. Is this the side you wish to stand on?

Penned hunting is incredibly cruel to the coyotes, foxes, and rabbits who are used as live bait and are chased and killed by packs of dogs. The dogs forced to participate can also suffer from injuries and death.

In addition to animal cruelty, penned hunting is a public health risk. The trade and transportation of wildlife is a major contributor to the spread of disease and parasites, including zoonotic diseases that can infect wildlife, domestic animals, and humans.

Research is clear: more than four out of five Canadians are against hunting animals for sport. No other Canadian province allows penned dog hunting, and the cruel practice is unlawful in most of the United States.

Please do the right thing for animals and public health—don’t undo all of the progress made to phase out penned hunting facilities. Your government should instead focus on strengthening the existing legislation, and shutting down the few remaining train and trial areas in the province.

• 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.
• Penned dog hunting facilities are cruel to the wild animals that are subjected to various methods used to train dogs to hunt.
• 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. These facilities have no place in Ontario.
• Instead of opening new applications, the province’s existing 24 facilities need to be closed immediately.