Podcast: A look back at animal cruelty laws in Canada

What laws are in place to protect animals?

To kick off 2024, The Informed Animal Ally takes a look back at the show’s first ever series on animal cruelty laws in Canada. If you’re interested to learn more about any of the highlights in the episode above, you can find full episodes on this page or wherever you get your podcasts.

The episode Companion animal cruelty laws, released in May 2022, delves into an overview of the laws meant to protect pets in Canada.

The episode Farmed animal cruelty laws, released in June 2022, delves into the laws around animals who are bred, raised, and killed for meat, milk, eggs, furs, and other products used by humans.

Fishes are impacted in huge numbers by human activity—where about 70 billion land animals are killed for food each year, the number of fishes killed annually is about 14 to 40 times that. Learn more in the episode Fish cruelty laws, released in July 2022.

The episode Wildlife cruelty laws with Erin Ryan was published in September 2022. Special guest Erin specializes in wildlife welfare and holds an MSc in Applied Animal Biology from the University of British Columbia Animal Welfare Program, where her research focused on humane rodent control.

In the episode Animal captivity laws with Rob Laidlaw, published in October 2022, a special guest delves into the laws around animals in captivity. Rob has spent more than 40 years working to protect the interests and well-being of animals in Canada and around the world. He is a chartered biologist, founder of the wildlife protection organization Zoocheck, an award-winning author and a winner of the Frederic A. McGrand Lifetime Achievement Award for substantial contributions to animal welfare in Canada.

Roger Kingbird / We Animals Media

The episode Animals used in research, teaching, and testing was published in November 2022. In Canada there are many different uses of animals in research, teaching, and testing, ranging from noninvasive methods to some of the worst suffering animals endure. This episode discusses the various ways animals are used in science, protections in place for these animals, and how you can help.

This series has explored the laws that are in place to prevent animal cruelty, and the gaps in those laws that lead to animal suffering. The final episode in the series explores the enforcement of those laws. Who ensures cruelty laws are followed? was published in February 2023.

Next episode

Please join us next month as we discuss what your relationship with your pet says about you.