At GTHS, we know that the welfare of animals is a passion we share with our wonderful community. This page is your go-to spot for the latest animal welfare opportunities, whether local, provincial, or national. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of animals. Here’s how you can join us in this important mission:
- Gather Signatures: Rally support by gathering petition signatures for laws that protect our furry friends.
- Advocate Locally: Meet with town councillors to champion by-laws that benefit animals in our community.
- Voice Your Concerns: Submit letters to the editor of local media outlets to highlight animal-related issues and raise awareness.
Let’s come together, take bold steps, and create a kinder world for animals!
Shelter Standards for Service Providers
The GTHS is a member of the Ontario Animal Welfare Network (OAWN), a collective of senior leaders from humane societies and SPCAs across Ontario. Together, we advocate for best practices in animal welfare. Read our Executive Director’s letter to the Ministry of the Solicitor General, urging standardized requirements for the sheltering of animals in the care of Animal Welfare Services.
Read the letter here.
Protect Animals from Medically Unnecessary Cosmetic Procedures
Ontario is currently reviewing legislation that would ban certain medically unnecessary cosmetic procedures on dogs and cats, including declawing, ear cropping, and devocalization.
While we’re encouraged to see these procedures included, tail docking is not currently part of the public consultation, despite previous commitments to review it.
At the Georgian Triangle Humane Society, we believe animals deserve protection from all procedures that cause pain or permanent, irreversible change when there is no medical benefit.
The province is currently accepting public feedback, and community voices matter.
How to share your feedback:
Ontario is accepting public comments through its official consultation process. You can visit the Ontario Regulatory Registry and search Proposal 52973 to read the proposal and submit your feedback by clicking here.
If you prefer to write directly, comments may also be shared with the Ministry of the Solicitor General, Strategic Policy Division:
George Drew Building
25 Grosvenor Street, 9th Floor
Toronto, ON M7A 1Y6
Protect the Animals at Marineland
Humane Canada, the national federation of humane societies and SPCAs representing over 50 animal welfare organizations, has joined Canadians from coast to coast in urging Premier Doug Ford to take immediate action to protect the animals at Marineland.
Recent reports confirm that another beluga whale and a harbour seal have died, and that Marineland is on the verge of bankruptcy, putting dozens of animals including belugas, dolphins, sea lions, and seals at risk.
Marineland has refused to collaborate with animal welfare experts, including Humane Canada, the Whale Sanctuary Project, and World Animal Protection, who have offered to help find alternate homes for these animals.
Humane Canada is calling on Premier Ford to
→ Direct PAWS to intervene immediately and secure the animals’ welfare and safety.
→ Assemble independent marine mammal experts to assess the animals’ health and improve care conditions on-site.
→ Develop a humane, long-term plan for their relocation and wellbeing based on expert advice.
To learn more, and to add your name to the letter, please click here.
Premier Doug Ford condemns the use of dogs in medical testing
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/ford-warning-scientists-medical-tests-dogs-1.7607178
In response to a CBC investigative report revealing that dogs – including puppies – were subjected to induced heart attacks at London’s Lawson Research Institute and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, Ontario Premier Doug Ford called such practices “unacceptable.” He warned researchers that he would “hunt down” those using dogs or cats in experiments and pledged to introduce legislation to ban such testing.
Contact your MP and MPP to support legislative bans on medical animal testing.
Contact Brian Saunderson, MPP Simcoe-Grey
Add Your Voice to Create a Nationwide Animal Abuser Registry
In October, the Province of Ontario formally tabled a petition for an Ontario Animal Abuser Registry. A federal petition has now been launched to put forward a national Animal Abuse Offender Registry. This national registry would ensure that protections to animals and accountability for offenders is consistent across all provinces and territories.
This petition is open until February 18, 2026. (Please note, there is an email verification step required)
Animal Justice: Canada Promised to End Cruel Animal Testing—Now It’s Time to Fund Cruelty-Free Science
Every year, more than three million animals, including dogs, monkeys, rabbits and mice are used in Canadian research, with many forced to endure brutal experiments that cause unimaginable pain and suffering. In one horrific example, Animal Justice exposed dogs suffering for months after being forced to endure hours-long heart attacks.
Please take a moment to ask Canada to invest in the development of cutting-edge, animal-free research methods. Your voice can help save the future of Canadian animal-free science.
Humane Canada: Your Voice Is Needed: Ask Your MP to Move Bill C-16 Through Parliament
Georgian Triangle Humane Society is a proud Member of Humane Canada, the federation of humane societies and SPCAs, where we worked together to achieve an historic milestone. On December 9th , 2025, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-16, the Protecting Victims Act, a bill that moves to criminalize the distribution of animal sexual abuse images. This is a powerful step forward for compassion and justice in Canada. These images are not only acts of cruelty toward animals—they are also used to groom and exploit children and control victims. Recognizing this violence link is essential to building safer, stronger communities. Bill C-16 reflects years of coordinated advocacy between Humane Canada and Member organizations like ours. Protecting animals means protecting the people who love them. When animals suffer, people suffer. GTHS will continue working alongside Humane Canada as Bill C-16 moves through Parliament. Your support matters—let’s keep fighting for safer homes and stronger protections for the most vulnerable.
Humane Canada: Modernizing Science to Reduce Animal Use
Each year in Canada, between 3 to 5 millions animals are used in scientific research and toxicity testing. In 2024, 98,441 animals were subjected to procedures causing severe pain or distress (Category E), and 1,119,104 experienced moderate to severe distress (Category D), according to Canadian Council for Animal Care data.
Modern science offers a new path forward through non-animal methods such as organ-on-a-chip technologies, 3D-bioprinted tissues integrated and advanced computer models
These methods replicate human biology accurately, they are faster and more cost-effective, while eliminating the ethical costs of animal testing.
Our coalition calls on the federal government to:
1. Develop a national roadmap for validating and implementing non-animal methods, setting measurable targets to reduce animal use in research and regulatory testing (50% by 2030, full replacement where feasible by 2035).
2. Allocate sustainable federal funding to establish a national centre to lead the transition to animal-free research and testing.
3. Mandate public research institutions and granting councils to prioritize non-animal methods, with replacement as the default.
4. Amend federal laws and regulations to recognize non-animal methods as the standard, restricting animal use whenever alternatives exist.
5. Establish mandatory public reporting on non-animal method adoption rates, federal funding, and animal use in both public and private sectors.
To read the full brief, click here.
Humane Canada: National Animal Emergency Response Program
Humane Canada is calling upon the federal government to demonstrate leadership by:
- Launching a coordinated national emergency animal response that would connect professional animal responders into any federal response table and advocate the same at each level of government to ensure that, as the wildfires continue to spread, evacuees with pets will be considered in decision-making;
- Advocating for any housing facility considered or provided, including all emergency shelters and hotel options, must provide co-sheltering opportunities so that evacuees with pets continue to maintain the care and control of their animals; and
- Provide dedicated funding to Humane Societies and SPCAs that respond to provide support services, evacuation and interim housing for evacuees with pets and direct removal services with First Responders.
To learn more, please visit: National Animal Emergency Response Program
To sign the Parliamentary Petition (open until noon, October 9, 2025) please click here.
Bill C-355: The Prohibition of the Export of Horses by Air for Slaughter Act
Bill C-355, the Prohibition of the Export of Horses by Air for Slaughter Act is languishing in Senate, even with the release of horrifying data from the Japanese government that confirms what animal welfare groups have been saying for decades: this practice causes enormous animal suffering. In fact, this data confirms that 21 Canadian horses died during or shortly after transport between May 2023 to June 2024, which is in stark contrast to Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) data that indicated only five fatalities out of approximately 47,000 horses exported since 2013.
On September 24th, Humane Canada submitted a letter to the Prime Minister, calling for the immediate and permanent termination of the live export of horses from Canada for slaughter and for the CFIA to fully investigate following these troubling revelations from the Japanese government.
Add your voice to this critical campaign to prevent it from stalling in front of Senate by visiting humanecanada.ca/en/your-humane-canada/add-your-voice-petitions/ask-the-senate-to-ban-the-live-export-of-horses
The Violence Link
The Violence link is the relationship between violence against people and animals. Research shows that violence toward people (interpersonal violence) and violence toward animals (animal cruelty) are part of a larger pattern of violent crimes that co-exist. The Canadian Violence Link Coalition (CVLC), formed in 2017 recognizes the link between interpersonal abuse and animal abuse as well as the intersection of vulnerabilities in both populations.
To learn more about the CVLC, please visit https://humanecanada.ca/en/sector-professionals/violence-link-professionals
To learn more about proposed legislation on this topic, visit: https://www.torontohumanesociety.com/bill-c-332-protecting-animals-from-domestic-violence/P
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Humane Canada: 2025 Federal Election Policy Platform
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