Approvals allegedly breach province's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and its regulations
A lawsuit brought by Animal Justice has challenged the Ontario government’s issuance of three licences apparently permitting the operation of penned dog hunting facilities in breach of the province’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, and its accompanying regulations.
Regulations under the provincial legislation ban the use of larger dog breeds in penned hunting contests or trials where red foxes act as bait, unless the facility complies with specific size requirements, according to Animal Justice’s media release.
“There are so few laws to protect animals used for penned dog hunting in Ontario; the least the government can do is uphold and enforce them,” said Kaitlyn Mitchell, lawyer and director of legal advocacy at Animal Justice, in the media release.
Animal Justice’s suit sought the voiding of three licences appearing to allow facility owners to release English and American foxhounds, coonhounds, bloodhounds, and harriers in pens where they could track, chase, and terrorize foxes for training sessions and competitions offering prizes.
In its filing, Animal Justice alleged that the three facilities that obtained Ontario-issued licences failed to meet the size requirements under the regulations.
Animal Justice said Ontario justified its reversal, in hunting extremists’ favour, of a prior government decision in the 1990s to discontinue the “cruel bloodsport” by stating that it would enforce stringent requirements to safeguard animals.
In its media release, Animal Justice noted that:
“We have been fighting to oppose the cruel penned hunting industry for years and now we hope that the Court will intervene to void these licences, which appear to allow penned fox hunting contests with these prohibited dog breeds, increasing the risk that foxes will be caught and ripped apart when chased by larger and faster dogs,” Mitchell said.
Animal Justice, a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization, seeks to advocate for the humane treatment of animals. Its 2023 investigation found that hunters admitted that facility owners would restock their pens with wild animals since dogs would catch them throughout the year.
Through a freedom-of-information request, Animal Justice received documents suggesting that the authorities have not inspected any penned hunting facilities within Ontario for around two years.
In 2023, Animal Justice and Coyote Watch Canada unsuccessfully applied for review under Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993. The application wanted Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to revoke regulations passed by Premier Doug Ford’s government that expanded penned hunting in the province.
Animal Justice shared that it and Coyote Watch Canada also called attention to zoonotic disease risks arising from these facilities.
