Animal Justice and Coyote Watch Canada are calling for a review of a new Ontario law that expands a licensing regime allowing dogs to track down captive coyotes, foxes, and rabbits in massive fenced-in pens. Last year, the province passed legislation that would allow the expansion of licenses for “train and trial” areas where hunting dogs are trained to search for and chase down wild animals. Animal Justice and Coyote Watch Canada have filed a review request asking the Natural Resources and Forestry Minister to stop the expansion plans and phase out existing train and trial areas, citing concerns about the risks to wildlife and public health.
The training component of the dog sport involves letting hunting dogs loose in large fenced areas where they learn to hunt animals such as coyotes that are caught in the wild and re-homed to these areas. The trialing portion of the sport involves competitions where dogs are scored on their hunting skills, with points awarded and champions crowned. Although the law states that wildlife is not to be hurt during these practice hunts, former conservation officers have spoken out about the cruelty towards wildlife, particularly coyotes. They have raised concerns about coyotes being hurt and killed by dogs in the past, as well as revealing a coyote trade ring where animals were illegally caught and sold to other hunters for use in train and trial areas.
Despite lobbying from hunters, Doug Ford’s government decided to expand the dog sport, which is supported by the Ontario Sporting Dog Association and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. Animal rights organizations claim that the sport is “cruel and inhumane,” subjecting captive animals to physical and psychological distress and creating an unsafe environment for the dogs used to chase them. The organizations argue that using captive animals as live bait in the sport is unethical, although the law requires animals to be trapped humanely. The ministry stated that all train and trial facilities are operated responsibly and meet strict regulatory requirements, with conservation officers inspecting these facilities to ensure compliance.
The review application submitted by Animal Justice and Coyote Watch Canada points out that no other province in Canada allows train and trial areas using live animals as bait, except for Manitoba, which only allows the use of live game birds. Fox and coyote penning is banned in most U.S. states, indicating that the practice is controversial and limited in its acceptance. The animal rights organizations are calling for the expansion of train and trial areas in Ontario to be halted, existing areas to be phased out, and stricter regulations to protect wildlife and ensure the ethical treatment of animals involved in the sport. The province has proposed granting new licenses through a one-time 90-day application period, with the ministry reviewing the application and committing to enforcing strict care standards for wildlife.
