Update
This action has now ended. Thank you to the 518 advocates who used the quick action to ask their MLA to speak up for animals in captivity and sled dogs. Please see the Current Campaigns page for more ways you can help wild animals in captivity and animals used in entertainment.
Speak up for sled dogs & wild animals in captivity
The provincial government has acknowledged that two key animal welfare issues are on their ‘to-do list’: regulations related to wild and exotic animals in captivity and dogs suffering in the commercial sled dog industry.
The VHS has shared recommendations for updating the regulations, but government action continues to be delayed and animals suffer in the meantime.
Members of B.C.’s Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are in their home constituencies for the summer, engaging with residents to find out what matters to them before returning to the B.C. Legislature at the start of October. Will you send an email to your MLA calling on them to raise these two issues – and the VHS’s recommendations – with the relevant B.C. Ministers?
Send an email to your MLA asking for action for sled dogs & wild animals in captivity
Consider the following key points as you outline your concerns in your own words. You can send a quick email using the form below.
Wild and exotic animals:
- Wild and exotic animals have complex needs that are incredibly difficult to meet in captivity. As a result, they suffer when kept as pets or for entertainment, including in people’s homes, in zoos, aquariums and at animal rental companies.
- Wild and exotic animals that escape or are abandoned can pose a risk to the public and to native species.
- Media coverage has highlighted issues at captive facilities like the Vancouver Aquarium and Greater Vancouver Zoo, including concerns about animal care, animals pacing in small, unnatural enclosures, and incidents where people have been bitten.
Sled dogs:
- Media coverage has highlighted investigations into the commercial sled dog industry in Canada, including an investigation last year that led to the BC SPCA seizing neglected dogs from a sled dog operator.
- Videos of commercial sled dog operations often show dogs pacing back and forth at the end of a chain, with little protection from the cold or heat and few opportunities to play or socialize.
- Sled dogs can be tethered or caged for prolonged periods of time, as they are only required to be released once a day and there are no requirements for how long. They are also still subject to inhumane methods of euthanasia. Sled dog tour companies in B.C. are allowed to shoot surplus dogs, provided the operator has made a reasonable effort to rehome the dogs.
This action has now ended.
518 people used this tool to call on their MLA to speak up for animals. Thank you for taking action.
