Progress for animals often moves slowly. This can be disheartening. As an animal ally, it can feel as though others don’t care enough to make change. But how much is that feeling based in reality?

When asked about animal issues, most Canadians express care and concern. Most people with companion animals consider those animals to be part of the family. Canadians are also largely opposed to activities that pose animal welfare concerns, such as trophy hunting (83% opposed), killing animals for their fur (78% opposed), rodeos (65% opposed), and zoos and aquariums (58% opposed).

Animal welfare is typically a bipartisan issue in Canada, resonating with people regardless of which political party they vote for. Still, animal welfare alone is rarely a motivator for change from decision-makers.

What happens when animal allies unite with other changemakers?

A recent election in Denmark answered that question, as advocates for animal welfare, the environment, and residents made pig farming a major election issue through two years of focused campaigning.

Citizens used their votes to show they care about the animal welfare, land use, environmental, and human impacts of pig farming, a main industry in Denmark.

Collaboration with other sectors has helped make progress for animals in Canada.

Animal advocates in Canada have teamed up with advocates on other issues and highlighted the overlap between the health of animals, humans, and our shared environment.

Here in British Columbia, a permanent ban on the farming of mink for fur was announced in 2021 due to public health risks.

In 2023, a phase-out of toxicity testing on animals was included in an update to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

The Protecting Victims Act passed this summer, criminalizing the distribution of animal sexual abuse material while recognizing harm and threats against animals as part of coercive control and criminal harassment.

Collaboration paints a promising path forward.

These stories paint a promising path forward in animal advocacy; one where collaboration with other advocates and intersections with other important issues create real opportunities for meaningful change.

Animal advocates around the world are celebrating a step forward as Tripadvisor has strengthened their animal welfare policy! The new policy evaluates activities involving animals “informed by the Five Domains of Animal Welfare, a globally recognised framework that assesses an animal’s quality of life”:

The new policy “does not enable booking for experiences that involve animal racing, such as most dog, horse and camel racing or for rodeo-style events”. It also forbids sales of tickets for attractions including elephant riding and those involving captive whales and dolphins.

This important step forward involves a major company acknowledging that many animal entertainment events cause unnecessary risk and stress to animals. It also helps travellers to make more compassionate choices about the events and attractions they attend.

To learn more about choosing compassionate events and attractions, check out the VHS’s podcast episode on An animal-friendly summer break with Erin Ryan.

Cover photo: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media.