On Halloween, fireworks were once again set off across B.C., terrifying animals, impacting humans, and polluting the environment.
A new study found that noise pollution changes the biology or behaviour of 80% of animal species studied.
Horse guardians in Saanich have been featured in local media outlets calling for changes to fireworks bylaws.
Fireworks impact animals, humans, and our shared environment
Each Halloween when fireworks are set off, animals across B.C. are left terrified, humans experience panic responses due to weapons-related PTSD, and harmful debris are released into our environment.
While some municipalities, such as Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver, have banned or limited the purchase and use of fireworks by consumers, many municipalities still allow consumer fireworks.
You can visit this blog post to read more about the impacts of fireworks and how you can help.
We live in a noisy world. Whether it is the roar of traffic, the rumble of ships or the hum of heavy industry, there is often no escaping noise unless you are a hermit on a desert island.
A new study published in the journal Science found that noise pollution affected at least one aspect of body function, development or behaviour in 80% of animal species studied.
Loud and unwanted noises like as fireworks can reshape ecosystem dynamics and cause changes in the bodies of animals such as rising stress hormones.
For 17-year-old Mr. Oats, an apple a day is one of the best parts of the day. While he is back in his horse happy place, it’s a far cry from how he felt when fireworks lit up the skies on Halloween night.
More than 300 people shared the VHS’s post on Halloween outlining the dangers of fireworks, and many animal guardians commented to share their own experiences of trying to comfort terrified pets.
Horse guardians in Saanich were also featured in local outlet Chek News calling for changes to bylaws after fireworks were set off for hours near horse paddocks, leaving animals stressed and frightened.
You can learn more about the fireworks bylaws throughout Metro Vancouver in this article, and use the VHS’s template to send an email to your Mayor and Council if your municipality still allows consumer fireworks.
Science World in Vancouver is hosting a “Robot Zoo” exhibit from October 9, 2026 – April 4, 2027.
Attractions like this can offer a more humane alternative to captive animal attractions and mobile live animal programs by giving children an opportunity to learn about animals without requiring animals to be kept in unnatural or stressful conditions.
The VHS’s Campaign Manager, Nadia Xenakis, spoke with a journalist from BCIT to outline the concerns with mobile live animal programs and how alternatives like the Robot Zoo can pave a kinder path forward.
Captive animals: Welfare risks without a proven educational benefit
While children may see an animal in a zoo or at a mobile live animal program for a few minutes, captive animals spend their entire lives in unnatural and often stressful environments.
Captive wild animals have limited opportunities to engage in their complex natural behaviours. Travel can also be extremely stressful for animals as they are moved between their permanent housing and schools or other settings for temporary display.
Meanwhile, researchers and academics are critical of claims that learning results in increased conservation efforts from participating in mobile live animal programs. Instead, these programs may give children the impression that it is okay to remove animals from their natural environments so we can interact with them.
There are many alternative ways for children to learn about animals in a way that allows them to express their natural behaviours, including:
Walks to look at native wildlife
Visiting with companion animals in a home or shelter
Videos and books about non-native wild animals in their natural habitats
Technological developments like the Robot Zoo are a great way to explore interactive, engaging, and up-close experiences for children to learn more about animals while respecting the freedom of live animals to engage in their natural behaviours and live in their natural habitats.
This piece written by Melanie Denomme, a Biological Sciences PhD student at Brock University, originally appeared in The Conversation. Every day, millions of people watch their pet reptiles run, dig, swim or climb up against the walls of their enclosure. …
New research finds repetitive behaviours in reptiles
New research shared by a Biological Sciences PhD student at Brock University examines the behaviours of reptiles kept in captivity as pets. The research looks in particular at the repetitive behaviours of bearded dragons, such as scratching, pacing, or rubbing against the walls of their enclosure (often referred to by reptile hobbyists as “glass surfing”).
Though the opinion piece approaches the research from a perspective of reptile keeping, it raises questions about the inherent concerns with bringing and breeding undomesticated animals who have complex needs into captivity.
Repetitive or “stereotypic” behaviours in animals often signify stress, discomfort, frustration, or a desire to escape. These behaviours are common in undomesticated, wild animals kept in captivity, such as in zoos, at aquariums, or as exotic pets.
Note:The VHS uses the term “exotic pets” to refer to animals that are not domesticated, that are not native to the local habitat of British Columbia, and that are kept in private homes or similar environments. The term does not apply to domesticated animals such as dogs, cats, or domestic rabbits.
Like mammals, reptiles show signs of frustration at not being able to escape confinement
In an opinion article published on the Brock University website, researcher Melanie Denommé states, “Mammalian carnivores, such as mink, polar bears and lions, sometimes perform repetitive pacing in captivity. And while there may be multiple reasons for the behaviour, researchers have found that thwarted escape is a common motivation.”
The researchers’ results supported that the same was true for reptiles: “Lizards climbed up, dug at or walked against the only ‘door’ in their enclosure more than any other barriers.”
Why do reptiles want to escape?
“Enclosures that are too hot, small or boring may be a common cause of wanderlust,” the Denommé states. The researcher suggests that increasing the space and enrichment available to reptiles can help reduce repetitive behaviours, but notes that this does not always succeed.
This reflects the reality that it is extremely difficult or impossible to meet the complex needs of many reptiles and other exotic animals in a captive home environment.
Should anyone keep reptiles?
Most captive reptiles are exotic species not native to B.C., with the potential to impact local ecosystems and wildlife if released.
Reptiles already kept in private homes, rescues, zoos, and aquaria across B.C. need experienced, thoughtful care in the environment best suited to their specialized needs.
If a keeper understands the complex needs of these animals and feels prepared to meet them, taking in rescued or surrendered reptiles is valuable and much-needed.
At the same time, it is important to move away from breeding and bringing new reptiles into captivity who are not well-suited to captive environments.
Why move away from keeping reptiles as pets?
Many reptiles and other exotic pets spend their lives bored, frustrated, and suffering when their needs are not met.
Interested buyers may not be given adequate information which can lead to reptiles suffering, dying, or being released into an unsuitable native ecosystem. Reputable rescues for exotic animals are often at or over capacity and many organizations are struggling to meet the demand created by the exotic pet industry.
You can read the opinion piece or full research paper at the link below. Please share this post to help others learn more about the complex needs of reptiles.
The VHS is grateful to the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada for their generous grant funding of our work to raise awareness about the suffering of wild, exotic animals kept in captivity as pets and used in mobile live animal programs.
Credit: Aaron Gekoski / Asia for Animals Coalition / We Animals
Bright aquariums filled with colourful fishes are often seen as calming, decorative additions to a home. But behind the glass is a reality that is far less visible.
Ornamental fishes are among the most widely kept exotic animals in the world, and often considered a ‘starter pet’, yet their welfare is frequently overlooked.
The ornamental fish trade is a global industry involving thousands of species and billions of animals. One recent review estimates it includes close to 6,000 species and generates over $15 billion USD annually. Common species that many are familiar with include Goldfish, Bettas, and Tetras.
Many of us have seen fish in pet stores, carnivals, and homes, but how many of us know where they actually come from?
Fish are then transported to be purchased by customers to places like pet stores or hobbyists.
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Most will die during transit
It is estimated that over 90% of fish will die during transportation, and a large proportion will be discarded for issues that customers find unattractive, such as wounds or a sickly appearance.
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Waiting on store shelves
The survivors will be stored in holding tanks until they are purchased.
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Living in a tank until death
Their final stage of life is often in a customer’s home aquarium, where they live until death.
Yet fish are still widely perceived as low-maintenance pets, or even as decoration. This misunderstanding has serious consequences for their welfare. When their needs are underestimated, they are more likely to be impulsively purchased or kept in environments that compromise their health and well-being.
Credit Jordan Rivers / We Animals
Life in a tank is more complex than it looks
Unlike many other companion animals, fish live entirely within aquatic environments constructed and maintained by humans. This makes water quality one of the most critical factors in their welfare.
In their natural habitats, fish have expansive space and enriched ecosystems that are often difficult to replicate in captive environments. Properly caring for fish can be intensive, making the myth that they are easy to care for ‘starter pets’ particularly harmful.
A fully “cycled” tank that supports the nitrogen cycle
Many common health issues seen in ornamental fishes are directly linked to poor husbandry. From a veterinary perspective, treatment often depends on correcting the environment rather than simply administering medication. This requires ongoing knowledge and commitment from caregivers, something many are not prepared for when they first acquire fish.
There are barriers to veterinary care
Even when problems are recognized, access to veterinary care can be limited. Aquatic medicine is a specialized and relatively niche area, and many general veterinarians are not equipped to treat fish patients.
This creates a difficult situation. Fish may suffer from preventable conditions, while caregivers struggle to find guidance or support.
At the same time, the sheer diversity of species in the trade makes it challenging to develop consistent care standards. Different species have different environmental and social needs, and many are unlikely to have those needs fully met in typical home aquariums.
A welfare issue we can no longer ignore
The ornamental fish trade highlights a broader issue in how animals are perceived and treated. When animals are seen primarily for their appearance or being easy to care for, their needs can be overlooked.
Fish are sentient individuals capable of experiencing stress and suffering. Their welfare matters, both in the conditions they are kept in and in the systems that bring them into our homes.
Here’s what can you do to help!
Improving the lives of ornamental fish takes all of us!
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Educate yourself & others
If you choose to purchase fish, learn about their complex welfare and husbandry needs, and about veterinary care options near you.
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Share this post
Educate others on the welfare needs of fish so they can make informed decisions before purchasing animals.
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Local advocacy
Talk to pet stores and local representatives in your community to advocate against the sale of fish in pet stores or for improved welfare conditions.
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Sign up to take action ↓
Sign up for our mailing list to be informed when opportunities to advocate for fish arise.
At VHS we believe all animals deserve care, respect, and consideration. That includes fish, whose needs may be less visible but are no less important. By looking beyond the surface, we can begin to change how ornamental fish are understood and treated and ensure their lives are more than something to look at.
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.
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.”
After more than four decades in captivity, a loggerhead sea turtle named Jorge is finally swimming free—an outcome that once seemed almost impossible. His story, shared earlier this year in the National Geographic, highlights both the power of public advocacy and the deep, lasting harms that captive display can cause to wild animals.
Here’s how Jorge the sea turtle prepared for the improbable journey-decades after he was found tangled in a fishing net off the coast of Argentina.
A remarkable return after 41 years in captivity
Jorge was rescued as a young turtle in 1984 after becoming tangled in fishing nets off the coast of Argentina. Instead of being rehabilitated and returned to the ocean—a practice that was uncommon at the time—he was sent hundreds of miles inland to an aquarium in Mendoza. There, he spent more than half his life in a shallow tank, far from the ocean, fed an unnatural diet, and deprived of the complex conditions sea turtles need to thrive.
For decades, Jorge became a local celebrity. But as awareness grew about the impacts of captivity on wild animals, public concern grew as well. Eventually, more than 60,000 people signed a petition calling for Jorge’s release, and environmental lawyers filed a lawsuit to push for his return to the sea.
That advocacy worked.
In 2021, a coalition of researchers, veterinarians, and conservation institutions began a careful three-year rehabilitation process to determine whether Jorge could survive in the wild. Through gradual reintroduction to saltwater, live prey, ocean-like temperatures, and currents, Jorge relearned skills he had almost lost. In April 2025, at roughly 60 years old, he was released into the Atlantic Ocean.
It was his first time swimming freely in open water in four decades.
Satellite tracking showed Jorge travelling north toward the warm waters of Brazil, the region he knew as a young turtle. Against the odds, he is navigating currents, hunting, resting, and behaving like a wild sea turtle once again.
Jorge’s story shows advocacy can change animals’ lives
Jorge’s freedom did not happen by accident. It happened because tens of thousands of people spoke up, signed petitions, applied legal pressure, and refused to accept that lifelong captivity was the only option for a healthy wild animal.
This is a powerful reminder that advocacy matters. Public voices can influence policy decisions, challenge outdated practices, and create opportunities for animals who have long been denied their natural lives. Without sustained public pressure, Jorge would likely still be swimming in circles in a shallow tank instead of enjoying his freedom in his home waters.
Captive display prevents wild animals from thriving
As hopeful as Jorge’s story is, it also underscores a sobering reality: captivity prevented him from living as a sea turtle for most of his life.
During his decades in confinement, Jorge lost essential survival instincts. He did not know how to hunt, navigate open waters, or respond to other animals in his environment. His rehabilitation required years of intensive, expert intervention—resources that are rarely available for most captive animals.
Captive wildlife are unable to engage in many natural behaviours that are crucial to their physical, social and psychological well-being. Even well-intentioned facilities struggle to replicate the vast space, social complexity, sensory stimulation, and choice that animals experience in the wild.
As Jorge’s case shows, captivity can strip animals of the skills they need to survive, leaving them dependent on human care.
Most captive animals will never return to the wild
Jorge is an exception, not the rule.
Many animals who are kept in captivity for long periods are not releasable. Animals accustomed to human interaction, proximity, and feeding often lose their fear of people, struggle to forage independently, or lack the social and survival skills needed in the wild. This is especially true for animals bred in captivity, who may never have learned natural behaviours at all.
Once wild instincts are lost, release can be dangerous or fatal for animals. This is why prevention matters so deeply.
The most effective way to ensure wild animals remain wild is to stop keeping and breeding wild, exotic animals in captivity in the first place. Rather than continuing systems that breed or import animals who cannot be released, we must shift toward models that prioritize animal well-being.
That means transitioning zoos and aquariums away from permanent display of wild animals and toward sanctuary-based models that focus on rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured or displaced native wildlife. Sanctuaries exist to serve animals—not to use them as attractions—and they recognize that freedom, not entertainment, is the ultimate goal.
Jorge’s journey is inspiring, but it should not distract us from the larger truth it reveals. No animal should have to spend 40+ years in captivity before we finally ask if a small enclosure is the best place for them to thrive.
His story shows us what can happen when advocacy succeeds, and why we must work to ensure fewer animals need such extraordinary intervention again.
Wild animals belong in the wild, and protecting them starts with the choices we make today.
Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@bang_gecko?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">verdian chua</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/brown-and-white-lizard-on-brown-wooden-surface-68hC4vYTSFo?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>
Port Moody Councillor Kyla Knowles introduced a resolution at the UBCM calling for regulations on mobile live animal programs, citing animal welfare, zoonotic disease risks, and public safety.
The Vancouver Humane Society supports the resolution, highlighting the lack of minimum standards for animal care in mobile programs.
The resolution also urges the province to update the Controlled Alien Species Regulation to include stronger welfare protections and restrictions on exotic species transport, breeding, and display.
Read media coverage on the report and the VHS’s campaign below. Stay tuned for updates!
Proposal to regulate mobile live petting zoos in B.C. is based on animal welfare concerns, advocate says.
“It seems cruel to take these animals from event to event, from party to party,” said Knowles.
Knowles said the issue came to the city’s attention through public complaints about an operator who regularly made presentations at the city’s Golden Spike Days.
“This particular operator had exotic lizards, turtles and snakes. People and kids would line up and take their turns holding them, posing with them. It just seemed cruel to watch these animals being handed from one child to another,” said Knowles after observing the operator at an event.
“The resolution is about oversight and regulation. The problem is that there are independent, private, for-profit operators in this space, and we have no idea how they are being operated,” said Knowles.
Said Emily Pickett, campaign director of the Vancouver Humane Society: “We don’t know how many of these groups there are, that’s part of the problem.”
Following Port Moody City Council’s vote to ban mobile live animal programs last month, Councillor Kyla Knowles is asking for the province to introduce stronger regulations to protect animals.
Mobile petting zoos pose many animal welfare concerns:
Transportation to different locations can be an inherently stressful process for many species.
The animals used in these zoos are typically transported and kept in undersized cages or units that may also lack other elements they need to engage in important natural behaviours, like appropriate substrate and enrichment items.
Animals can develop chronic stress and health issues as a result of disrupted eating, sleeping, and drinking patterns, and from being exposed to unfamiliar sights, sounds, smells and human handling and interactions.
Port Moody City Council voted to ban mobile live animal programs, such as mobile petting zoos, on January 21st following a presentation by the BC SPCA and statements from the Vancouver Humane Society and several Port Moody residents.
Council Kyla Knowles, who championed last month’s motion, has introduced a new motion to ask for stronger protections across the province.
Florida Fish and Wildlife flickr image / Lisa Thompson photo Port Moody council is now urging the province to step in with stricter regulations on Fresh off of approving a municipal ban of mobile petting zoos, Port Moody council is now urging the province to step in with stricter regulations on related practices.
“On Feb. 25, Coun. Kyla Knowles, who spearheaded the city’s move towards banning mobile petting zoos, introduced an advocacy motion to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) calling on the province to strengthen the rules around mobile live-animal programs. “
“‘Whenever animals are on display or made to perform for recreation, sport or entertainment, they face risks to their physical and psychological well-being,’ Knowles’ motion stated. ‘Meeting an animal’s welfare needs during (the programs) is very difficult, if not impossible, particularly if operators are not trained to recognize and alleviate animal distress or suffering.'”
Port Moody council tasked staff in January to create a corporate policy banning mobile live animal programs from operating anywhere in the city.
“Coun. Kyla Knowles said animals on display or made to perform face risks to their physical and psychological well-being.”
“She’s calling upon her fellow councillors to support a resolution to the Union of BC Municipalities calling for provincial regulations as well as updates to current regulations that will give animal welfare equal priority to public safety, along with a prohibition on the import, keeping, breeding and transport of exotic species.”
The Vancouver Humane Society, the BC SPCA, and allies in the Lower Mainland are celebrating a big win for animals as Port Moody prohibits mobile petting zoos!
Port Moody City Council voted to prohibit mobile live animal programs, which transport animals for human entertainment, on January 21st.
Mobile petting zoos pose many animal welfare concerns:
Transportation to different locations can be an inherently stressful process for many species.
The animals used in these zoos are typically transported and kept in undersized cages or units that may also lack other elements they need to engage in important natural behaviours, like appropriate substrate and enrichment items.
Animals can develop chronic stress and health issues as a result of disrupted eating, sleeping, and drinking patterns, and from being exposed to unfamiliar sights, sounds, smells and human handling and interactions.
Read or watch more about this win for animals in the articles below!
CBC News
“These events really perpetuate the notion that animals are here for our entertainment, which is certainly not a message we should be teaching children,” Emily Pickett said in an interview televised on CBC News.
Port Moody, B.C., will adopt a corporate policy banning mobile live animal programs from operating on public or private land in the city.
“Thursday, the BC SPCA and VHS lauded Port Moody’s decision.
‘The BC SPCA is thrilled to see local governments like the City of Port Moody make progressive policy decisions to enhance animal welfare in their communities,’ said Nadia Xenakis, the BC SPCA’s wild animal welfare specialist, in a news release.”
