Animal Justice urges Ontario to strengthen Bill 75 to ban all invasive experiments on dogs and cats

An animal rights group testified at Queen’s Park supporting a ban on dog and cat experiments in Ontario following the controversy at St. Joseph’s.

Representatives from Animal Justice testified before the Standing Committee on Justice Policy Wednesday afternoon, in support of provisions to Bill 75 that would end the use of dogs and cats in invasive experiments in Ontario.

“So, as drafted, the bill prohibits invasive medical research on cats and dogs,” said Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice. “We propose deleting the word medical to clarify further. The intent is not simply to ban medical research, but all invasive research on cats and dogs.”

Other recommendations brought forward include ensuring pets can’t be subject to veterinary research and ending the practice of handing animals over from municipal pounds to animal experimenters.

“Ontario is the only province with this mandate,” said Labchuk. “It is unacceptable.”

The proposed changes come after Premier Doug Ford pledged to end research on dogs and cats following the exposure of a “secret dog lab” at St Joseph’s Health Care in London.

“The dogs who survived endured painful recovery and were nursed back to health, only then to be killed with their hearts removed and bodies stuffed into biohazard barrels in a freezer,” said Labchuk. “People were heartbroken and outraged to learn that dogs were facing this type of brutal experimentation in Ontario.”

Labchuk said if provisions are passed, Ontario would become the first province in Canada to ban invasive experiments on dogs and cats.

“Too often this is hidden behind closed doors, and I think this bill is proof that when that comes to light, people want to do good things for animals,” said Labchuk.