When Hannah noticed that her beloved dog George had stopped eating and drinking and had developed a large, hard bump on his lip, she was terrified. Firm lumps that cause behaviour changes like this can be a sign of cancer.
George is a rescued dog from Mexico, found abandoned in a dumpster with his brothers as a puppy. Today, he is a 70-pound lap dog at heart who wants nothing more than to snuggle close to his mom. “He’s the most cuddly boy and always wanting to sleep with mom,” Hannah shared.
Living in a recovery house and doing her best to rebuild her life, Hannah was distraught when she realized she could not afford to have George examined. Hannah reached out to the McVitie Fund for help.
Thanks to support from our wonderful community, George was able to see a veterinarian. He received an exam, medication for allergies, and antibiotics to treat the concerning bump. George is now on the road to recovery and back where he belongs, curled up beside Hannah.
“Thank you so much for your help, I seriously appreciate it,” Hannah told the VHS’s McVitie team. She now looks forward to reaching a point in her life when she can give back to help other animals like George.
George’s recovery would not have been possible without the support of generous donors to the McVitie Fund. Could you make a small gift today to help us say yes to more beloved companion animals?
Across North America, we’re seeing meaningful progress to protect animals from medically unnecessary procedures. This is a great sign that awareness and compassion are driving real change.
More governments moving away from harmful procedures
Ontario appears set to push ahead with a ban on declawing cats and debarking and ear cropping dogs, a move animal welfare advocates say is years overdue and doesn’t go far enough.
The Province of Ontario is currently considering a ban on procedures such as declawing, debarking, and ear cropping when they are not medically necessary.
These surgeries, often performed for human convenience rather than animal health, can cause lasting physical and behavioural harm. For instance, debarking removes an important way that dogs communicate, while declawing can cause lasting pain, nerve damage, increased aggression, and difficulties walking normally.
The state of California also recently took action to protect companion animals. A statewide ban on medically unecessary declawing came into effect at the beginning of 2026, reinforcing the growing recognition that removing a cat’s claws—which involves amputating part of each toe—is not a humane solution to scratching.. The state joins others such as New York, Maryland, and Virginia, which have passed similar laws.
Where B.C. stands on medically unecessary procedures for pets
For more than a decade, the College of Veterinarians of B.C. (CVBC) has prohibited cosmetic procedures such as tail docking and ear cropping. In 2023, the CVBC strengthened its protections by also banning declawing and debarking when not medically necessary.
Ontario remains the only province without restrictions on cosmetic procedures for pets; but that could soon change. These developments reflect a broader shift away from practices rooted in convenience and toward policies grounded in the science of animal well-being.
In this month’s episode of The Informed Animal Ally, we look back through some of the topics the VHS covers in our programs like our plant-based advocacy work, advocacy around inhumane rodeo events, emergency veterinary care for pets through our McVitie Fund, and handling burnout as an animal ally, which we cover more in-depth in our trauma-informed training program.
The first episode of this series, Will plant-based become the norm?, was released in July 2023. In this episode of The Informed Animal Ally, we look into a VHS project examining what people in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland think about plant-based eating and sharing its benefits.
The second episode in this series, Are rodeos obsolete?, was released in August 2023. The episode discusses how animals are impacted by rodeo, public responses to rodeo events, and the future of rodeo.
The third episode in this series, Is It Easy to Go Vegan?, was released in September 2023. This episode examines healthism and ableism in discussions around plant-based eating, as well as ways to make plant-based diets more accessible to everyone.
The fourth episode in this series, Caring for Pets in a Financial Crisis, was released in September 2023. This episode explores how financial crises can affect many pet guardians, the challenges faced by low-income pet guardians, and the systems in place to support them.
The final episode in this series, Coping with Burnout as an Animal Ally, was released in January 2024. This episode takes a closer look at the emotional toll of encountering and standing up against suffering, as well as strategies and tips for managing the compassion fatigue and burnout that many animal advocates experience.
This Valentine’s Day, choose to send an e-card to someone you love when you donate to the VHS on their behalf! Your thoughtful donation will go towards improving the lives of animals, while letting someone special know you’re thinking of them.
When you donate below, choose to make a donation in honour of someone special and pick a thoughtful e-card that will be sent directly to their inbox. Simply tick the “Yes, I want to dedicate my donation”boxin the “Want to dedicate your gift to someone special?” section of the online donation form.
Animals appear in tv and film, advertisements, and our social media feeds. While some content celebrates animals in respectful ways, other videos and images raise serious welfare concerns. Knowing what to look for can help you make more ethical choices about the content you watch and share.
Share this post!
Red flags to watch for when animals are used in media:
Animals who appear unhealthy, such as being underweight, overweight, injured, or poorly groomed
The use of wild and exotic animals in captivity for the purpose of entertainment
Forced interactions, such as animals being held for the camera, hugged, or used for selfies.
Animals made to perform tricks, dangerous stunts or forced actions
Wild or exotic animals wearing clothes or being treated like props
Signs of stress, fear, or attempts to escape
Handlers using intimidation or violence to control animals
Animals forced to work in extreme heat, cold, noise, bright lights, or crowded environments
These signs often point to unethical training methods or poor living conditions behind the scenes. Wild and exotic animals are not domesticated, even if bred in captivity, and can face serious risks to their welfare off-screen.
While it can be difficult to spot red flags from edited media, it is worth pausing to consider where the animals on our screens may have come from and what their lives may look like off-screen.
Credit: Lukas Vincour / Zvířata Nejíme / We Animals
There are also positive indicators to look out for
Green flags include content that:
Encourages responsible animal guardianship of domesticated species
Shows animals engaging in natural, species-appropriate behaviours
Depicts animals in a respectful and dignified way
Ethical animal content features animals in healthy physical condition, living in appropriate environments, and behaving naturally. It also reflects a genuine commitment to animal welfare, not just entertainment value. Importantly, animals should always have the choice to engage.
Credit: Victoria de Martigny / Farm Sanctuary / We Animals
Some guiding principles
If you come across a video that raises concerns about animal welfare, it can be tempting to comment or share to call it out.
Unfortunately, this increases engagement and can encourage creators to produce more harmful content. The most effective response is not to interact with the content at all and to file a complaint with the company producing and showing the content, or to report the content to appropriate enforcement agencies if animal cruelty is observed.
Many animal videos are harmless and even positive. This includes well-cared-for companion animals playing or relaxing, or footage of wild animals filmed from a respectful distance without human interference.
Being thoughtful about what we watch, and share is one small but powerful way to protect animals. Every view counts. Choosing ethical content helps create a culture where animal welfare comes first
Social media can be part of the solution, not the problem.
Share our content to reach more people and spread the word!
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.
Share this post!
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!
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!
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.
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
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.
Scientists hope understanding coyote widowhood will someday help humans in their own grief.
New research around coyote bonds and behaviours shows that coyotes experience grief over the loss of a partner.
A 2012 study previously found that coyotes select one mate for life, offering more evidence of complex social relationships between these animals.
A new study from Rachel Tong and Sara Freeman finds even more evidence of complex emotions tied to these social bonds: coyotes who experience the loss of a partner show the same stress signals in their brains that we see in human grief.
Though it may seem clear to many through common sense and observation that animals experience strong bonds, scientific research like this helps to grow public awareness of animal sentience, which can in turn support stronger protections for animals.
According to the National Geographic article on the study, “Freeman hopes her work can help build compassion for coyotes, which are often regarded as pests and targeted in wildlife killing contests and by frustrated landowners.”
Parrots are one of the most popular pets in Canada, but animal rescues say there aren’t enough resources to support the birds that can often outlive their owners.
Experts are warning of a growing crisis around the care of aging parrots in Canada, a recent CTV News story warns.
Parrots are exotic, undomesticated animals with complex needs who can live up to 80 years or longer. This means they often outlive their original guardians, or the circumstances that enabled a family to care for them.
A rescue in Ontario is pointing to a large demand for rescue services for birds who were bred and sold in the 70’s and 80’s. Still, parrots continue to be bred and imported for the pet trade, exacerbating the long-term strain on a system that is already struggling to keep up.
The VHS and animal allies are calling on the B.C. government to update the Controlled Alien Species regulation to prioritize animal welfare when determining which species can be kept, bred, and traded, and supporting a ban on the import of exotic species whose complex needs cannot be fully met in human care.
A recently released Fear Factor: House of Fear episode was filmed in Metro Vancouver and involved local animal handlers.
The episode has raised serious animal welfare concerns and prompted the VHS to file cruelty complaints.
In futureepisodes yet to air, further incidents of stressful and inhumane treatment of animals are depicted.
The first episode involved putting contestants in enclosed containers and dropping rats, pigeons, geckos, and snakes onto them from above.
The chaotic conditions presented a clear risk of significant stress, suffering, and injury for the animals.
Other episodes show further concerning treatment of animals, including a contestant in a closed container with snakes and a dead rat in the contestant’s mouth.
The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) has filed a cruelty complaintwith the BC SPCA, and has written to various decision-makers, including the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC); the show’s production company, Endemol Shine North America; and the show’s Canadian broadcaster, CTV.
The VHS is calling on CTV to stop airing Fear Factor: House of Fear.
TAKE ACTION: Join the VHS in filing complaints with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council; the show’s production company, Endemol Shine North America; and urge the show’s Canadian broadcaster, CTV, to stop airing Fear Factor: House of Fear.
Please see the update below regarding episode complaints submitted to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC).
Update from CBSC website: “The CBSC has received a large number of complaints concerning an episode of Fear Factor on CTV. To ensure that all complaints are dealt with efficiently and in a timely manner, the CBSC limits the number of complaints it will accept in respect of the same broadcast. The CBSC process does not vary based on the number of complaints made. The same consideration is given to one single valid complaint as to multiple complaints on the same matter. The CBSC is now dealing with the episode on CTV under its normal process. As a result, no further complaints will be accepted by the CBSC on this issue.”
Depicting animals as props in entertainment sends the wrong message about animal welfare.
Putting animals in stressful, high-risk situations is cruel and normalizes using animals for human entertainment at the expense of their welfare.
Credit: ‘Fear Factor: House of Fear.’
The practices shown contradict humane handling.
Animals are dropped into containers and onto frightened contestants and other animals, escalating panic and risk of injury. This does not model calm, careful, welfare-first handling, and it undermines the animals’ complex care needs. It’s especially troubling that local handlers would participate in, or endorse, this treatment.
Credit: ‘Fear Factor: House of Fear.’
The principles of One Health, One Welfare recognizes that human, environmental, and animal health and well-being are interconnected.
Fear Factor: House of Fear fails to uphold standards for:
Welfare: Animals and contestants are placed in highly stressful conditions without knowing what will happen next. One contestant is filmed repeatedly saying they want to leave the enclosure and is ignored, while animals cannot consent to their involvement in filming.
Health & safety: Both humans and animals are visibly distressed. Stressed animals are more likely to bite and scratch and to shed contagious viruses and pathogens that can pose a health risk to people. Concerningly, the contestant in the container with rats is filmed stating that the the rats were urinating and defecating in the enclosure, highlighting this risk. When people are in distress and afraid, they may throw or harm animals in attempts to get away from them.
Credit: ‘Fear Factor: House of Fear.’ Photo by Serguei Bachlakov VIA RealityBlurred.com
