In 2023, pressure from a special interest dog hunt lobby influenced Premier Ford's government to abandon common-sense ethics and push through expanding licenses for new dog hunting pens. Instead of phasing out these cruel pens as was planned in 1997, Premier Ford decided to open more licensing opportunities rather than continue to phase them out. The government wants to increase the bloodsport practice of dog hunting pens under the guise of training dogs to pursue wild animals inside enclosures.
Penned dog practicing, also called "train and trial pens" involves individuals live trapping, transporting, and selling wild coyotes, foxes, and rabbits to privately operated and owned pens, keeping Ontario's wildlife in servitude. Once in captivity, with no way to escape, hundreds of hunting hounds and dogs are brought by their handlers inside the pens to "track" down the captive wild animals. Coyotes, foxes, and rabbits are chased for hours, harassed, and often maimed or killed by the dogs. When wild animals inside these pens survive, the horror is repeated countless times. Two former conservation officers came forward in the media and exposed the dark underbelly of the activities associated with the operation of these pens.
Competitions are held with prizes and money. Dogs are "trained" inside these pens to attack and do the same to free-living, wild animals in open landscapes. Hound hunting encourages the trespassing of dogs onto private property and puts people and other non-target animals at risk.
These pens may also act as a reservoir for parasites and other zoonotic diseases, threatening the wild captive animals, humans, and hunting dogs. Transmission can occur between both the hunting dogs and captive wild animals.
Behind the scenes, the Ford government considered not issuing new pen licenses however it appears they may have once again considered caving to the activist minority hunt lobby that wants to see these archaic practices continue.
Tell Premier Doug Ford NOT to ignore the inherent cruelty and unnecessary suffering these dog pens promote and stay the course to end dog penning in Ontario. We need your help to send a message to Premier Doug Ford’s office. The Premier needs to understand that Ontarians do not support or condone such barbaric, unethical, and inhumane hunting practices.
How you can help:
Contact the Premier’s office by phone and email. To be effective always be polite, and respectful and stay on point using your own words and thoughts. Include your city and postal code so the Premier knows you are a citizen of Ontario.
Premier Ford’s phone number: (416) 325-1941
Premier Ford’s email address: Premier@ontario.ca
Talking points to guide you when communicating with the Premier:
- I strongly do not support the expansion of train and trial penning in Ontario.
- Penned dog hunting facilities are cruel to captive wild animals that are subjected to various methods used to train dogs to hunt. What the dogs learn to do to wild animals inside these pens, they do to them in their natural environment.
- Wild animals are part of the public trust and are not for sale to be trapped and sold by trappers and hunters to dog pen operators to be abused and used as cruel entertainment.
- These train and trial pens were to be phased out and after two decades this is an extremely disturbing setback.
- The remainder of these pens need to be shut down immediately, and no issuance of new licenses.
- In every other province across Canada, it is illegal to operate penned dog hunting; Ontario must end this horrific bloodsport.
Thank you for taking action and standing strong on behalf of wild nature.
Photo shows hound hunting dogs fatally mauling a coyote in Ontario.
