I would like to state my…

I would like to state my opposition to 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 who are subjected to various methods used to train dogs to hunt. It’s also extremely dangerous to the general public. I was out camping last year and was able to see the dangers this "sport" poses to the public when a group of dogs came into our campsite and tried to attack my friends dog. The dogs were followed by a man in a truck with a loud speaker attached. When we told the man about the situation, he neither stopped to help, apologized, nor left his truck. Instead he became aggressive and stated that his dog was a "hunting" and that it had clearly been lured to our campsite because we had left food out - which is no defense for the aggressive actions of his dog in a licensed camping area. He called his dog, who looked unkept, was clearly hungry and aggressive, who ran further up the trail followed by his vehicle. Further up the trail were more campsites and more people camping peacefully with their animals. We are experienced campers in a group and were able to make sure nothing significant happened to our dogs or ourselves, but if I had been at the campsite alone or just with my dog it could have been a very different story. This is why I believe that training dogs to hunt, especially with wild animals in train and trial arrangements, is not only cruel to wild animals but dangerous to the rest of us who are simply trying to enjoy the outdoors in peace. The reckless decision to open applications for train and trial spaces after 25 years is a massive step backward into the past and danger waiting to happen in the present. Instead of opening new applications, the province’s existing 24 facilities need to be closed immediately.