Author: Nadia Xenakis

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News/Blog

Scrolling past suffering: Exotic pets and social media culture

Social media has become one of the most powerful places where people learn about animals. Every day, Canadians scroll past videos of sugar gliders, servals, turtles, snakes, and even native species of wild animals being kept in homes. 

But what do these posts actually tell us about public attitudes toward the exotic pet trade? 

A 2024 research study examined social media content to better understand how Canadians talk about exotic pets online. What the researchers found raises serious concerns for animal welfare, conservation, and the growing normalization of keeping exotic animals as companions. 

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What animals are being shared online?

The study found that a wide range of animals appeared in social media posts, including: 

  • Endangered or threatened species, such as the black-breasted leaf turtle and the Sakishima grass lizard 
  • Animals seen as “cute” or trendy, like sugar gliders and servals
  • Native Canadian wildlife, including raccoons, foxes, and lynxes kept in captivity  (Note: the keeping of wildlife is illegal in B.C. without a permit)

Many of the most popular posts showed exotic animals in ways that encouraged admiration, without explaining how difficult it is to meet their complex needs. 

Public opinion was often positive

One of the most troubling findings was that overall public opinion about the exotic pet trade in Canada was mostly positive. 

Reactions often depended on the type of animal being shown. Mammals received more positive responses than reptiles or spiders, for example. 

When people expressed concern, it was usually focused on one visible issue, such as an enclosure being too small. Much less attention was given to broader harms, including: 

  • long-term suffering
  • improper care  
  • illegal wildlife ownership
  • impacts on conservation  

In many cases, the deeper consequences of the exotic pet trade were missing from the conversation entirely. 

A growing “Collector” mindset

Researchers also noticed a strong “collector” mentality online. 

Some users expressed a desire to own more animals, more species, and rarer animals simply for the sake of having them. This mindset treats living beings as possessions rather than individuals with complex needs. 

At the same time, there was little awareness of how the exotic animal trade threatens wild populations and ecosystems. 

Exotic pets are often personified for entertainment

Another major trend was the way exotic animals are portrayed with human-like emotions or personalities. 

Many posts gave animals voices, assigned them roles like “best friend” or “baby,” or suggested they enjoy captivity the way humans might. 

This kind of content can be deeply misleading. Exotic animals are not domesticated and treating them like props or characters can hide serious welfare concerns. 

Confusion about what’s legal

The study also found widespread misunderstanding about whether exotic pet ownership is legal. 

Many viewers assumed that if an animal is shown online, it must be permitted or ethical to keep. In reality, laws vary widely, enforcement is limited, and illegal ownership can easily go unnoticed on social media. 

When viral content drives demand: “Paris Hilton Syndrome”

The researchers highlighted a phenomenon sometimes called “Paris Hilton Syndrome.” 

This term comes from the surge in Chihuahua popularity after Paris Hilton’s dog frequently appeared in the media. Many people bought the breed impulsively, and countless dogs were later abandoned or surrendered to shelters. 

Similar trends have followed popular films and television shows, including: 

  • 101 Dalmatians 
  • Finding Nemo 
  • Lassie 

Today, influencers and celebrities sharing exotic pet videos can have the same effect. Viral content can make exotic animals seem trendy, accessible, and easy to care for, even when the reality is far more complex. 

The danger of “Folklore Husbandry”

The study also identified a troubling pattern of misinformation known as “folklore husbandry.” 

This refers to exotic animal care advice that spreads online without scientific evidence or best practices, often based on convenience or personal opinion. 

Examples included false claims such as: 

  • certain animals “do well in small spaces” 
  • keeping exotic pets helps conservation because the species is endangered 
  • captivity is harmless if the animal seems calm 

These myths can lead to suffering and neglect. 

What this means for animals

Positive reactions online can encourage people with little experience to purchase exotic pets or accumulate more animals over time. 

When exotic animals are presented as cute, funny, or emotionally relatable, viewers may accept the content without questioning whether the animal is stressed, improperly housed, or even being kept illegally. 

The result is increased demand, weak oversight, and growing risks for animals. 

What can we do?

Technology can worsen the exotic pet trade, but it can also help stop it. How we use social media matters. 

We can do better by: 

  • challenging myths about exotic pet care 
  • thinking critically about what we see online 
  • supporting stronger regulations 
  • promoting animal welfare and conservation 
  • sharing responsible, evidence-based content 

Social media can be part of the solution, not the problem.

Share our content to reach more people and spread the word!

Read the original study here: 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1617138123001930 

Categories
News/Blog

Have your say: Canada’s Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Equines

Animals close-up photography. Horse Consultation. Four horses assembled your heads together.
  • In 2024, we asked for your help in completing a national survey that gathered top equine welfare concerns. Your voice was heard, and responses from this survey were used to create a draft Equine Code of Practice.  
  • The public comment period for the National Farm Animal Care Council’s (NFACC) Equine Code of Practice is now open until March 12, 2026  
  • The Equine Code of Practice provides a guideline for the on-farm care and handling of horses and donkeys raised in Canada.  
  • While this draft provides many much-needed updates to the Equine Code of Practice, there are still changes to be made to improve equine welfare. 
  • Note that the code does not include transport, such as the live export of horses for slaughter; it only includes on-farm practices and deciding if individual horses are fit for transport. 

TAKE ACTION: Join us in providing feedback on the draft code on the issues that are important to you; everyone can participate! 

Top welfare priorities
Tips for submitting
Submit your feedback 

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Top Welfare Priorities

We encourage you to read through the draft Equine Code of Practice and provide feedback on the issues that matter most to you if possible.

However, we have prepared the VHS’s top welfare priorities with section headers and tips for submitting your feedback if you are short on time and would like guidance. REMINDER: do not copy and paste the text below, as duplicate submissions will be ignored by NFACC.

Section 2: Facilities and Housing
Section 2.3.1 – Indoor space allowance

Comment on Requirements:

Tie-stalls should be banned, which keep animals tethered in one place and prevent them from moving freely, socializing, or behaving naturally, often leading to physical and mental health problems. (Popescu et al., 2019; Yngvesson et al., 2019).

Section 6: Loose Horse Management
Section 6.5.1 – Stocking density

Comment on Requirements

Currently, there are no requirements about how much space horses need or shelter access in feedlots or other similar environments. Clear minimum standards should be set, based on research, to give horses enough room, reduce stress, fighting, and injuries, and protect them from harsh weather.

Section 7: Husbandry
Section 7.1 – Turnout, social opportunities, and enrichment 

Comment on Requirements

Currently, there are no minimum requirements for turnout (giving equines free access to pasture or paddock), social opportunities, and enrichment in the draft code.

Turnout and enrichment allow horses to express natural behaviours and provide mental stimulation, including grazing, freedom of movement and social interaction.

Minimum requirements should include: 

Turnout: Horses should be allowed outside for at least 12 hours each day (Bell et al., 2001). They need enough space to move freely at their own pace and to get away from other horses if there is aggression.

Enrichment: Horses should have regular contact with other compatible horses, a variety of toys and feeding options, and opportunities to do natural things like rolling in pasture or using scent and scratching stations.

Section 7.2 – General behaviour and handling of horses

Comment on Recommended Best Practices

Horses are easily frightened and may react by bolting or becoming aggressive. To keep both people and horses safe, it should be a requirement to avoid loud noises, sudden movements, or other actions that could scare them.

Section 7.3 – Methods of identification

Comment on Requirements

Hot and freeze branding are painful and stressful for horses and can have lasting effects on their behaviour. Since there are safer ways to identify horses, like microchipping, branding should no longer be allowed. Instead, clear visual identification methods, such as coat markings, hair patterns, colour differences, scars, or properly fitted leg bands, should be used.

Section 8: Exercise & Training
Section 8.2 – Guidelines for training horses

Comment on Recommended Best Practices

It should be required to use the First Training Principles when training and handling horses (refer to Appendix L – Handling Horses and How Horses Learn).

Equestrians often use training methods that compromise equine welfare to achieve competition-related goals. Training horses should never harm their well-being and should match what they are physically and mentally able to do.

Using proven, humane training methods helps keep both horses and trainers safe and reduces problem behaviours.

Section 9: Reproductive Management
Section 9.5.4 – Weaning

Comment on Recommended Best Practices

It should be a requirement that foals are not weaned before 6 months of age, and when possible, weaning should wait until after 9 months. Gradual weaning helps reduce stress and supports healthy growth and development in young horses (Henry et al., 2020).

Section 10: Transport
Section 10.1 – Fitness for transport

Comment on Requirements

People who assess an animal’s suitability for transport should receive proper training, and their assessments should be recorded and documented so there are clear, reliable records.

Section 10.4 – Loading and unloading

Comment on Recommended Best Practices

Recommendations (a.), (b.), (c.), (d.), (e.) should be requirements given the high stress of loading and unloading for equines.

Section 10.4.2 – Post-transport management

Comment on Recommended Best Practices:

Horses may hide signs of pain when people are watching (Torcivia & McDonnell, 2020), so recently transported horses should be closely monitored for dehydration, injuries, colic, fever, or breathing problems, especially after long trips or when horses from different places have been mixed.

Comment on Recommended Best Practices:

There should be a recommended practice of video monitoring recently transported horses.

Section 11: Change or End of Career
Section 11.1 – Change or end of career

Comment on Requirements:

Every equine industry should have a transition plan for what happens to horses at the end of their working careers, and having this plan should be required for operation.

Section 12: Euthanasia
Section 12.2 – Methods of euthanasia

Comment on Requirements:

Euthanasia must be carried out in a way that causes no pain or fear, and horses must be made unconscious immediately.

Submit your feedback now!

Tips for submitting

To make your submission impactful, and to ensure that it is reviewed by NFACC, consider these tips before submitting your feedback:  

  • IMPORTANT: Do not copy and paste wording, as duplicate responses and/or profanity or derogatory language will not be considered by NFACC. 
  • Keep responses relevant to the draft code. Issues involving transportation, such as live horse export, will not be considered by NFACC.  
  • Provide references and examples whenever possible. 
  • Reference exact wording in the draft code that you would like to see changed and how you would like it changed  
  • Make it personal, the committee members are interested in how this code impacts you  
  • Consider looking through the submission form for formatting style before you begin drafting your feedback 
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak up for equids in Canada.
Submit your feedback now!
References

Bell R.A., Nielsen B.D., Waite K., Rosenstein D. & Orth M. (2001) Daily access to pasture turnout prevents loss of mineral in the third metacarpus of Arabian weanlings. Journal of Animal Science 79:142-1150.  

Henry, S., Sigurjónsdóttir, H., Klapper, A., Joubert, J., Montier, G., & Hausberger, M. (2020). Domestic foal weaning: Need for re-thinking breeding practices? Animals 10(2): 361. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10020361  

Popescu, S., Lazar, E. A., Borda, C., Niculae, M., Sandru, C. D., & Spinu, M. (2019). Welfare quality of breeding horses under different housing conditions. Animals 9(3): 81. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9030081  

Torcivia, C., & McDonnell, S. (2020). In-Person Caretaker Visits Disrupt Ongoing Discomfort Behavior in Hospitalized Equine Orthopedic Surgical Patients. Animals 10(2): 210. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10020210  

Yngvesson, J., Rey Torres, J. C., Lindholm, J., Pättiniemi, A., Andersson, P., & Sassner, H. (2019). Health and body conditions of riding school horses housed in groups or kept in conventional tie-Stall/Box housing. Animals 9(3): 73. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9030073 

Stay Informed. Help Animals.

Learn about farmed animal welfare in Canada and what you can do to help! Sign up now to get clear explanations, action alerts, and practical steps you can take when it matters most.  Click here to learn more.

Categories
News/Blog

Union of B.C. Municipalities calls on province to regulate mobile live animal programs and strengthen exotic animal rules

  • The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), which represents local governments across B.C., recently voted to endorse resolution NR75 – Mobile live animal programs 
  • This resolution calls on the provincial government to regulate mobile live animal programs and to strengthen exotic animal rules. 
  • Mobile live animal programs, such as travelling petting zoos, presentations and displays, or exotic animal events where animals can be purchased, are connected to animal welfare concerns and public health and safety risks. 
  • 2,450 messages were sent to UBCM delegates in support of resolution NR75. Thank you to everyone that advocated for stronger protections for animals! 

What happens next?

  • This vote signals that this issue is important to municipalities across B.C. and that provincial leadership is needed to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of animals, people, and the environment. 
  • Resolutions endorsed by the UBCM must be acknowledged and responded to by the provincial government.  
  • Help us take the next step by telling the provincial government that this issue is important to you and requires provincial leadership! 

TAKE ACTION: Add your name to the VHS’s campaign asking the provincial government to take meaningful action on this issue by implementing the UBCM’s recommendations. 

Tell the B.C. government to act!
Learn More

Learn more

Exotic animals are wild animals from other countries often imported to Canada through the exotic pet trade. These animals are not domesticated, even if bred in captivity, and their welfare can suffer when sold, bred, transported, or displayed. The exotic pet trade also poses risks to the environment and public health and safety.  

Animal welfare issues

Mobile live animal programs (MLAPs) can take many forms, including travelling petting zoos, presentations, and expos where animals can be purchased. They involve the transport of animals to a location for display, public entertainment, or sale to the public, and feature a variety of different animals.

MLAPs often include exotic animals—wild animals from other countries imported to Canada—such as spiders, snakes, lizards, and tortoises.    

Animals involved in MLAPs face many animal welfare risks, including:

  • Travel to and from events
  • The public handling of animals
  • Unregulated housing and breeding practices outside of events where they may face restricted movement due to lack of space
  • Limited behavioural opportunities
  • Abnormal social groupings, such as highly social animals being housed alone
  • Exposure to unnatural environmental conditions (lighting, temperature, substrate, sounds, odours)

Environmental risks

The accidental or intentional release of exotic pets (e.g. when pets are no longer wanted but a new home cannot be found for them) can introduce invasive species to our ecosystems. Some invasive species who have impacted our local ecosystems include the red-eared slider turtle, goldfish, and American bullfrog.  

Invasive species can threaten native wildlife, compromise habitats, and spread new diseases.   

Public health & safety concerns

While the risk of disease transmission is always present when interacting with exotic animals, MLAPs increase risk due to:

  • The number of animals and variety of species
  • High amount of close human contact
  • Difficulties in following hygiene protocols (if present)

These risks are particularly prevalent at events marketed to children.

The transportation and frequent handling of animals at these events presents a significant risk factor for stress, and stressed animals may also be more likely to bite or scratch, compounding risks of disease transmission and physical harm. 

Community impacts

Escaped or released animals and the surrender of unwanted exotic pets stress already overwhelmed shelters, rescues, and veterinary services, which may not have the resources and expertise to accommodate such a wide range of exotic species.

There have been many documented instances of escaped or released exotic pets in B.C. in recent years.

Outdated regulations leave exotic animals at risk

Currently, there are no provincial regulations in place that are specific to MLAPs and there is a lack of consistent and enforceable standards for keeping, breeding, displaying, and selling exotic pets.  

B.C.’s Controlled Alien Species Regulation (CASR), introduced in 2009, has banned ownership of more than 1,000 dangerous species like tigers and venomous snakes that pose a threat to people, property, and wildlife.

However, the CASR does not address animal welfare or disease risks, making many exotic species that suffer in captivity or can spread zoonotic diseases still legal to own and trade. 

UBCM resolution NR75 – Mobile Live Animal Programs calls on the B.C. government to:

  • Regulate mobile live animal programs to address animal welfare concerns and public health and safety risks; 
  • Update the Controlled Alien Species Regulation to equally prioritize animal welfare considerations alongside public safety and prohibit the import of all exotic species.

TAKE ACTION: Add your name to the call to action to show your support for this resolution!

ADD YOUR VOICE
Categories
Opinion

Why I stopped riding in horse carriages—and started advocating against them

Article originally published in the Daily Hive. Written by Nadia Xenakis, Campaign Manager at the Vancouver Humane Society.

I stopped riding in horse carriages and started advocating against them | Urbanized

Horse carriages are a popular tourist activity, particularly around the holidays. The experience for the horses is less than ideal.

Read & comment
Learn more & take action

My earliest memories of loving animals include coming home from kindergarten and watching a family of California quails in my grandmother’s backyard for hours, mystified by their sounds and quick movements. No neighbourhood cat went a day without hearing ‘hello’ and receiving a pat.  

Like many people who love animals, I sought to be as close to them as possible. Throughout childhood, my family would happily indulge my love of animals by taking me to see them at places like our local zoo, aquarium and to swim with dolphins during our family vacation.  

I watched elephants in their enclosures blanketed by Canadian snow, caimans unmoving and unblinking while fellow children screamed and slapped the glass of their enclosure, and dolphins brought into a small pool and instructed to remain still so we could touch them. Meanwhile, a tight discomfort formed in my chest. I was in awe of their shapes and abilities, but I could neither ignore nor understand the growing tension I felt.  

When I was 18, my then-boyfriend arranged for us to take a holiday horse carriage ride—the perfect gift for an animal lover. I remember being excited to meet the horses; but when I saw the enormous ornate costumes they wore to carry us through the city, the familiar tension returned. That apprehension turned to guilt as frustrated drivers whipped around the carriage when we moved too slowly or were stopped for too long. We maneuvered through the street amidst cars speeding past in every direction, cyclists and pedestrians crossing intersections, and the growing sound of honking, yelling, dogs barking, and music from shops lining the street.  

What was intended to be a relaxing holiday experience left me in a state of constant anxiety while I scanned the roads for hazards that could harm the horses or others. When the ride was over, I felt relief as I walked away. The horses in their feathered headpieces were not so lucky, I realized, as I watched the next set of riders step into the carriage.  

The horses consumed my thoughts all evening: where did they stay when they weren’t working? How long did they work? Did accidents happen; and if so, how often? Did they want to be there, and how could we know if they did or did not?  

I studied animal welfare science in university, where researchers tried to answer questions like these by measuring stress in animals, evaluating their environments and lifestyles, using preference tests to attempt to determine the choices animals would make if able to choose freely.  

This led to a career in animal advocacy. By this time, I understood that my love of animals had led me to seek to be close to them in ways that either put animals at risk or actively caused them harm or stress, through activities the animals had never consented to. I also understood that I was probably not the only person to reckon with this feeling. 

I now advocate to end many things I participated in throughout my life, before I had the foresight to consider the animals’ perspective.  

This holiday season, I implore fellow animal lovers to consider the experience of animals before choosing to participate in activities, to listen to feelings of discomfort, and to show your love of animals by working toward a world that is kinder for them. You can do this by donating to non-profits that advocate for them if you are able to, or becoming an advocate yourself by signing up for email alerts to take action for animals.  

If you share the feelings or concerns that I felt on my holiday horse carriage ride, the Vancouver Humane Society is currently asking the City of Vancouver to remove horse-drawn carriages from busy city streets. It’s not too late to add your voice.  

Thank you for making this holiday season one of safety and compassion for all.  

Learn more & take action
Categories
News/Blog

Help push Canada toward a future without animal testing 

Roger Kingbird / We Animals.

Image credit: Jo-Anne McArthur We Animals Media

Update

This petition is now closed. Thank you to everyone who signed and spoke up for animals. Please go to this page for current campaigns.

  • Each year in Canada, 3 to 5 million animals, like beagles, rabbits and mice, are used in scientific research and toxicity testing, as reported by the Canadian Council on Animal Care.  
  • In 2024, nearly 100,000 animals were subjected to procedures causing severe pain or distress.  
  • There is growing evidence to suggest that animal studies fail to reliably predict human outcomes. 
  • Despite the urgent need for better, more human-relevant science, Canada’s progress has been slow.
  • Last year, the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods (CCAAM), one of the country’s leading programs for alternatives to animal-use, closed due to a lack of funding.

TAKE ACTION: Sign the new official federal e-petition calling on Canada to do better. Tell the federal government that transitioning to animal-free research and testing is important to you!

When you sign an official federal e-petition, you’ll get an email asking you to confirm your signature. Your signature doesn’t count until you click that confirmation link.

View updates
Learn More
Photographs of animal use manuals from the Coulston Foundation, a former animal testing laboratory.
Jo-Anne McArthur We Animals Media
New Zealand white rabbits in a testing lab
Roger Kingbird / We Animals
Jo-Anne McArthur / Animal Equality / We Animals

Image credit: Jo-Anne McArthur + Media Roger Kingbird / We Animals.

Why change is needed

Despite Canada committing to reduce animal testing for chemical safety in 2022, and a 2025 federal strategy under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) to replace, reduce, or refine the use of vertebrate animals in toxicity testing, the strategy does not include targets, timelines or dedicated funding.  

Federal e-petition 6841 asks for:

  • A coordinated national effort to transition away from animal models;  
  • Measurable targets to reduce animal use in research and regulatory testing (50% reduction by 2030, full replacement where feasible by 2035); 
  • Sustainable federal funding to establish a national centre to lead the transition to animal-free research and testing; 
  • A mandate to prioritize non-animal methods, with replacement as the default; 
  • Federally recognize non-animal methods as the standard by amending federal laws and regulations; 
  • Establish mandatory public reporting on non-animal method adoption rates, federal funding, and animal use in public and private sectors. 

Public support for humane science

Canada is falling behind countries like the United States and those in the European Union, which have developed strategies and investments in new methods that do not use animals. Canadians overwhelmingly agree that it’s time for Canada to catch up.  

  • 83% of Canadians believe that whenever modern scientific alternatives are available, they should be used instead of subjecting animals to painful experiments;1 
  • On average, Canadians rate the importance of considering animal welfare in research decisions at an 8 out of 10, reflecting strong public concern for the treatment of animals used in science;2  
  • When asked how important it is to find effective alternatives to the use of animals in science and medicine, Canadians gave an average score of 7.7 out of 10.2  

Sign the official federal government petition: 

Join fellow Canadians in calling for a transition to animal-free research and testing! 

View updates (petition closed)

1 According to a Léger Marketing survey conducted for the Montreal SPCA from September 19 to 21, 2025, among 1,521 Canadians.

2 Nanos Research. Public Opinion Survey on the Use of Animals in Canadian Science (October 2024), conducted for the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC). https://ccac.ca/Documents/About/CCAC_NANOS_EN-02-2025.pdf

Categories
News/Blog

Time for change: tell Calgary’s new Mayor and Council to end rodeo and chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede

  • Nearly every year, animals continue to be injured or killed in dangerous rodeo and chuckwagon events at the Calgary Stampede.
  • At least 110 animals have died at the Calgary Stampede since 1986, an astonishing average of one death every 3.5 days of competition.
  • The Vancouver Humane Society is urging Calgary’s newly elected Mayor and Council to remove the chuckwagon races and rodeo events from the annual Stampede program.

TAKE ACTION:

Step 1: Tell Calgary’s NEW Mayor and Council to remove these inhumane and deadly animal events from the Stampede program. 

Step 2: Take the #SayNoToRodeo pledge to reflect your opposition to the use of animals in rodeo events.

Send a Message
Take the #SayNoToRodeo pledge
Learn More

Email Calgary’s Mayor and Council 

#SayNoToRodeo at the Calgary Stampede

Check out RodeoTruth.com for more information about the rodeo and chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede. This public awareness project is a collaboration between the Vancouver Humane Society and concerned Calgarians.  

To keep spreading the word about why the Calgary Stampede should buck inhumane animal events, follow RodeoTruth on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok and share the posts.

Image credit: Jo-Anne McArthur, We Animals

What happened at the 2025 Calgary Stampede?

  • A horse named Rider suffered a fracture to his left-front cannon bone during a chuckwagon race and was euthanized.    
  • Video clips show the risk of injury to animals, such as a steer who was flipped over and whose neck was repeatedly twisted. Last year, a steer used in steer wrestling was euthanized due to a serious neck injury. 
  • Footage also shows people at risk of injury, including children. 
  • Animals are hit and roughly handled. In one clip, a handler uses a rope to agitate a bull’s neck while another person behind the scenes calls the bull obscene names. 
  • Animals show signs of fear and stress, including widened eyes, tense open mouths, excessive salivation, thrashing in chutes, panicked behaviours, and resisting handlers. 

Content warning: The following footage shows a fatal incident and animals showing signs of stress and fear.   

Animals pay the price for “entertainment” at the 2025 Calgary Stampede

No Description

Stress, suffering & risk of injury or death in rodeo events

  • Calf roping: Calves are chased, roped by the neck, abruptly stopped, and thrown to the ground, which can cause neck injuries, bruising, and stress. 
  • Steer wrestling: Steers have their necks twisted and are slammed to the ground, risking serious injury. 
  • Bucking events: Bulls and horses are fitted with flank straps and spurred to provoke bucking, a reaction caused by discomfort and fear. 
  • Chuckwagon races: High-speed collisions and crashes often result in catastrophic injuries and death. 
  • In 2025, a horse was euthanized after a serious leg injury in the chuckwagon races. 
  • In 2024, four animals died: three horses during chuckwagon races and one steer whose neck was broken in a steer wrestling event. 

Despite efforts to improve safety, animal fatalities continue almost every year, demonstrating that these events are inherently dangerous. 

Tools & practices that cause distress

  • Flank straps and spurs are used to provoke animals into fleeing and bucking. 
  • Animals often show visible signs of fear and stress: wide eyes, drooling, open mouths, vocalizations, and defecation. 
  • Rodeo footage often shows rough handling — hitting, kicking, tail twisting, and ear pulling. 

The Vancouver Humane Society is urging the newly elected City of Calgary Mayor and Council to remove rodeo and chuckwagon events from the Calgary Stampede program by collaborating with Stampede organizers or implementing bylaws to prohibit harmful events. Cities like Vancouver, Port Moody, and the District of North Vancouver have already banned rodeos. 

Public opposition to rodeo is growing 

  • A 2022 Research Co. poll found removing rodeo and chuckwagon events would have little to no effect on Stampede attendance. 
  • 61% of Canadians and 49% of Albertans opposed the use of animals in rodeo (2022). 
  • By 2023, opposition grew to 67% of Canadians and 53% of Albertans. 
  • 2024 polls showed majorities of Calgarians oppose calf roping, steer wrestling, bronc riding, and chuckwagon racing. 
  • 67% of Calgarians now oppose government funding for rodeos. (2024)

The Future of the Stampede 

The Calgary Stampede has evolved over the decades to incorporate other attractions, including a large art festival; Indigenous performers and artists at the Elbow River Camp; the Midway rides and games; and live music featuring today’s top bands and local musicians. 

  • It’s time to embrace a cruelty-free future that brings people together without animal suffering. 
  • Removing these harmful events would align the Stampede with modern values of compassion and respect for animals. 

Together, We Can Make a Difference

📢 Call on Calgary’s NEW Mayor and City Council to end rodeo and chuckwagon events at the Stampede! 

Together, we can ensure the Calgary Stampede continues as an exciting celebration, without cruelty. 

TAKE ACTION

Categories
News/Blog

UPDATE: UBCM Executive to vote on mobile live animal programs & exotic pet regulations

Success!

After 2,450 messages were sent to speak up for exotic animals and mobile live animal programs, the UBCM Executive voted to endorse resolution NR75! Please see the Current Campaigns page for more ways you can help exotic animals, including asking the B.C. government to act on the UBCM’s call for change.

  • In September, the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), which represents local governments across B.C., held its annual convention.
  • A resolution brought forward called on the B.C. government to regulate mobile live animal programs – such as mobile petting zoos and exotic pet expos – and strengthen rules for keeping exotic (non-native, non-domesticated) species.
  • More than 1,000 B.C. residents wrote to their local governments, urging them to support resolution NR75 — Mobile Live Animal Programs.
  • UBCM members ran out of time to vote on resolution NR75 during the convention.
  • The resolution will now be considered by the UBCM Executive at their quarterly meeting on November 12-14.

TAKE ACTION: Add your name to the VHS’s campaign urging the UBCM President & Executive to support protections for animals used in mobile live animal programs and to call for stronger provincial safeguards for exotic animals kept, sold, bred, or traded as pets.

Tell UBCM Executive to vote YES to NR75
Learn More

This action has now ended.

2,450 messages were sent using the quick action tool to support UBCM resolution NR75. Thank you for taking action.

See more campaigns

Learn more

Exotic animals are wild animals from other countries often imported to Canada through the exotic pet trade. These animals are not domesticated, even if bred in captivity, and their welfare can suffer when sold, bred, transported, or displayed. The exotic pet trade also poses risks to the environment and public health and safety.  

Animal welfare issues

Mobile live animal programs (MLAPs) can take many forms, including travelling petting zoos, presentations, and expos where animals can be purchased. They involve the transport of animals to a location for display, public entertainment, or sale to the public, and feature a variety of different animals.

MLAPs often include exotic animals—wild animals from other countries imported to Canada—such as spiders, snakes, lizards, and tortoises.    

Animals involved in MLAPs face many animal welfare risks, including:

  • Travel to and from events
  • The public handling of animals
  • Unregulated housing and breeding practices outside of events where they may face restricted movement due to lack of space
  • Limited behavioural opportunities
  • Abnormal social groupings, such as highly social animals being housed alone
  • Exposure to unnatural environmental conditions (lighting, temperature, substrate, sounds, odours)

Environmental risks

The accidental or intentional release of exotic pets (e.g. when pets are no longer wanted but a new home cannot be found for them) can introduce invasive species to our ecosystems. Some invasive species who have impacted our local ecosystems include the red-eared slider turtle, goldfish, and American bullfrog.  

Invasive species can threaten native wildlife, compromise habitats, and spread new diseases.   

Public health & safety concerns

While the risk of disease transmission is always present when interacting with exotic animals, MLAPs increase risk due to:

  • The number of animals and variety of species
  • High amount of close human contact
  • Difficulties in following hygiene protocols (if present)

These risks are particularly prevalent at events marketed to children.

The transportation and frequent handling of animals at these events presents a significant risk factor for stress, and stressed animals may also be more likely to bite or scratch, compounding risks of disease transmission and physical harm. 

Community impacts

Escaped or released animals and the surrender of unwanted exotic pets stress already overwhelmed shelters, rescues, and veterinary services, which may not have the resources and expertise to accommodate such a wide range of exotic species.

There have been many documented instances of escaped or released exotic pets in B.C. in recent years.

Outdated regulations leave exotic animals at risk

Currently, there are no provincial regulations in place that are specific to MLAPs and there is a lack of consistent and enforceable standards for keeping, breeding, displaying, and selling exotic pets.  

B.C.’s Controlled Alien Species Regulation (CASR), introduced in 2009, has banned ownership of more than 1,000 dangerous species like tigers and venomous snakes that pose a threat to people, property, and wildlife.

However, the CASR does not address animal welfare or disease risks, making many exotic species that suffer in captivity or can spread zoonotic diseases still legal to own and trade. 

UBCM resolution NR75 – Mobile Live Animal Programs calls on the B.C. government to:

  • Regulate mobile live animal programs to address animal welfare concerns and public health and safety risks; 
  • Update the Controlled Alien Species Regulation to equally prioritize animal welfare considerations alongside public safety, and prohibit the import, keeping, breeding and transport of all exotic species. 

TAKE ACTION: Sign the letter to show your support for this resolution!

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