This document summarizes animal welfare issues in Canada in 2013. It outlines advances ("The Good"), setbacks ("The Bad"), and concerning issues ("The Ugly"). A new category of "Ugly Hall of Shame" highlights Marineland, due to continued allegations of mistreatment, lawsuits against whistleblowers, wildlife acquisition plans, and two beluga whale deaths despite consultation on improving captive wildlife laws.

1. An Animal Welfare year in review - 2013
It is the end of another year and once again we
are posing the question, “Are things getting better
or worse for animals in Canada?” Here is a
summary of some of the advances (The Good) for
animal welfare in 2013, some of the setbacks (The
Bad) and the issues that made us shake our heads
in sorrow (The Ugly).
This year we’ve added a new category: the Ugly
Hall of Shame.

2. An Animal Welfare year in review - 2013
THE GOOD
Advances and positive stories for animal welfare

3. THE GOOD
Maple Lodge Farm was found guilty of violating federal animal health regulations
when more than 1,500 chickens (out of 10,944 chickens that were being transported)
froze to death in cages in the back of transport trucks. There are still 58 more charges
pending against Maple Lodge Farm.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/09/30/maple_lodge_farms_guilty_of_crimin
al_charges_after_hens_freeze_to_death.html
PHOTO: ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE / TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

4. THE GOOD
Buy, Sell & Trade decided to put the safety of animals and people first and banned
private sales of pets in their on-line classified advertisements.
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/SPCA+applauds+attempt+combat+sales+banned+
exotic+animals/8759952/story.html

5. THE GOOD
Ryan Gosling spoke out on behalf of pigs by condemning confinement housing
(gestation stalls) in an opinion piece that was published in the Globe and Mail and
then picked up across the country.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/a-tiny-cage-is-not-alife/article13117337/

6. THE GOOD
In late November the World Trade Organization (WTO) upheld a ban on the
importation of harp seal products from the commercial seal hunt (not to be confused
with subsistence seal hunt for ringed seals in the north) into the European Union after
it was challenged by the Government of Canada.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/seal-product-ban-upheldon-ethical-grounds-1.2438904
Photo: Robin Lindsey

7. THE GOOD
North Atlantic right whales are an endangered species that spend their summers
feeding in Canadian waters. This summer scientists believe that they found a new
breeding ground for the gentle giants.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/right-whale-breeding-grounddiscovered-off-n-s-1.1362860
Photo: National Marine Fisheries Service

8. THE GOOD
And on Canada’s other coast scientists spotted a critically endangered North Pacific
right whale. It is estimated that less than 50 of these majestic creatures remain.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/11/01/right-whale-victoria-bc-juan-defuca_n_4184773.html
Photo: John Ford/DFO

9. THE GOOD
During the summer of 2012 a dog died in a hot car at a Vaughan Mills, ON shopping
centre. The mall wasn’t about to let that happen again and took matters into their
own hands by creating a “Pet Patrol”; a team of security guards who looks out for the
small furry guy!
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/07/10/malls_pet_patrol_keeps_an_eye_out
_for_dogs_left_in_hot_cars.html
Photo: ANDREW LIVINGSTONE / TORONTO STAR

10. THE GOOD
On October 20th, after a three day journey that was more than two years in the
making, Toka, Thika and Iringa, the Toronto Zoo elephants, arrived at the Performing
Animal Welfare Sanctuary (PAWS) in San Andreas, California, to enjoy their retirement.
http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/2013-2014/elephants-on-board-a-journey-toremember
Photo: Performing Animal Welfare Society

11. THE GOOD
The government committed to provide better protection for police service animals in
the Speech from the Throne by supporting Quanto’s Law. This is the first time
companion animals have been referenced in a Throne speech.
http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/police-dog-s-handler-pleased-by-quanto-s-law1.1501429
Photo: Edmonton Police Services

12. THE GOOD
Last winter shoppers were shocked to discover a young Japanese snow macaque
monkey dressed in a tiny shearling coat wandering at a Toronto area IKEA. After
months of legal wrangling a judged decided that the animal would live out his years in
a primate sanctuary rather than as a pet in a private home.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/12/04/darwin_the_ikea_monkey_learning_t
o_be_a_monkey_again.html
Photo: Diana Leipe

13. An Animal Welfare year in review - 2013
THE BAD
Setbacks for animal welfare

14. THE BAD
In 1999 the Ontario government cancelled the Ontario spring bear hunt citing ethical
concerns about the orphaning of bear cubs. In November the Ministry of Natural
Resources announced that a limited spring bear hunt would be allowed in Northern
Ontario. It will commence on May 1st, 2014.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/spring-bear-hunt-pilot-a-ridiculousproposal-1.2430639
Photo: Canada Photos.com

15. THE BAD
In November the Manitoba government silently removed 30 year old restrictions in
the province which only allowed placing polar bears younger than two years in
captivity. The Assiniboine Park Zoo has stocked it’s facility with two bears from
Churchill since the removal of the restriction.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/polar-bear-captivity-rules-loosened-inmanitoba-1.2422740

16. THE BAD
In July an Ontario Wal-Mart employee was fired when she confronted a customer
who had left his dog in his vehicle on an extremely hot day.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/wal-mart-employee-fired-after-reportingdog-in-hot-truck-1.1347231

17. THE BAD
Kijiji was presented with a petition with 58,000 signatures (now more than 60,000)
requesting they stop advertising the sale of dogs and cats in their classifieds ads to
help combat the use of the online platform by puppy mill operators. The company
stands by its business model and refuses to implement a third party monitoring
system.
http://globalnews.ca/news/826449/kijiji-pressed-to-end-sale-of-household-pets/
http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/kijiji-canada-stop-puppy-mills-and-prohibitthe-sale-of-household-pets

18. THE BAD
The province of Quebec, notoriously known as the puppy mill capital of North
America, released new animal breeding laws. Unfortunately, the laws are full of
loopholes. Although it’s not all bad as the new regulations do prohibit the use of gas
chambers for euthanasia – a long standing controversial issue.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/all-bark-and-no-bite-whyquebecs-new-breeding-laws-are-useless/article15005800/

19. THE BAD
In Ontario there were massive die offs of honey bees from the use of neonicotinoid
pesticides including one colony of 37 million bees. In the spirit of the precautionary
principle the European Union has banned the use of these pesticides for 2 years
starting December 1, 2013, to study their impact.
http://www.thepost.on.ca/2013/06/19/bees-dying-by-the-millions
Photo: Richard Weintrager/WeLust Design

20. THE BAD
While the Toronto Zoo elephants are enjoying their retirement in
California, Edmonton’s lone elephant Lucy continues to languish at the Valley Zoo.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Transfer+Toronto+elephants+warmer+clim
ate+revives+debate/9089548/story.html
Photo: Zoocheck Canada

21. THE BAD
Bowmanville, Ontario city council made a sound decision that it would not allow an
aging cancer stricken elephant to march in the annual Santa Claus parade. The
decision was widely protested in the community and eventually reversed. Limba was
euthanized two weeks after she marched in the parade due to her illness.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/limba-the-elephant-euthanized-atbowmanville-zoo-1.2449016
Photo: Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland

22. An Animal Welfare year in review - 2013
THE UGLY
What were they thinking?

23. THE UGLY
Undercover footage exposing the conditions of laying hens at two farms in Alberta
was aired by CTV’s investigative journalism show, W5. During the investigation the
Egg Farmers of Canada issued a security alert to their members encouraging them to
not cooperate with the media or allow journalists any access to farms.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/undercover-investigation-reveals-horrific-conditionswithin-egg-industry-1.1503296
Photo: W5/CTV

24. THE UGLY
After two young boys in New Brunswick were tragically suffocated by an African rock
python the news was dominated by stories of exotic animals in private ownership,
exposing a lack of good legislation banning this practice throughout most of Canada.
http://www.torontolife.com/informer/columns/2013/10/10/jan-wong-its-a-jungleout-there/
Photo: Facebook/Canadian Press

25. THE UGLY
Just before Halloween the public was horrified to find that Wal-Mart, Sears and
Amazon were carrying a “dead dog prop” which was created to look like a
bloody, skinned dog being dragged by a chain. On the positive side the stores did pull
the prop and the manufacturer has discontinued it.
http://www.businessinsider.com/dead-dog-prop-at-walmart-sears-amazon-2013-9

26. THE UGLY
Toronto will always have Rob Ford, however, Huntingdon, Quebec, has Stephane
Gendron. The mayor of the small town, and part-time radio shock jock, claimed to kill
stray cats by running over them with his car. He’s quoted as saying, “When I see a cat
in the street, I accelerate.”
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/07/14/bang-i-accelerate-quebec-mayor-forcedto-apologize-for-saying-how-much-he-enjoys-killing-kittens-with-his-car/
Photo: La Presse

27. THE UGLY
Europeans were shocked and horrified when it was found that horse meat was being
sold instead of beef in many restaurants including IKEA. In Canada the scandal
increased the demand for horse meat!
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/02/22/can-horsemeat-europe-scandalcanada-foodie.html
Photo: Andrew Winning/Reuters

28. THE UGLY
At the 2013 Calgary Stampede a steer was euthanized after its neck was injured in a
wrestling event and an outrigger horse collapsed and died from a burst lung artery
during the Chuckwagon races. Since 1986 57 animals have died or been injured at
events in the Calgary Stampede.
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Chuckwagon+horse+died+from+burst+lung+art
ery+Stampede+officials/8657131/story.html
Photo: Leah Hennel/Calgary Herald

29. An Animal Welfare year in review - 2013
The Ugly Hall of Shame
Sadly, it was difficult to decide which single story in the last
year would be given the dishonour of being in our hall of
shame this year.
Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur

30. THE UGLY – Hall of Shame
Marineland
Stories about Marineland located in Niagara Falls, Ontario continued to dominate the
news more than a year after staff came forward with accusations of mistreatment of
the animals. In 2013 stories emerged in which Marineland accused former trainer
turned whistleblower Phil Demers of trying to steal a walrus and also launched
lawsuits against the OSCPA and former trainers. The former trainers came forward
with stories of dogs being shot on the property and of large burial pits for animals
that had died on the property – a practice which was recently granted a permit by
the Government of Ontario.
Photo: Sun News Network

31. THE UGLY – Hall of Shame
Marineland
After much consultation and a commitment to bring in sweeping changes for Ontario’s
captive wildlife the government did little to improve the laws in the province. There
is still no licensing system for zoos, aquariums and private menageries, no
comprehensive standards and no ban on the keeping of whales and dolphins in
captivity.
Photo: Toronto Star

32. THE UGLY – Hall of Shame
Marineland
In the spring Marineland confirmed that two of its beluga whales had died. In the
autumn a Dateline Australia story stated that Marineland was looking to buy more
wild caught orcas from Russia.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/03/05/marineland_owner_john_holer_s
hot_dead_neighbours_dogs_according_to_witnesses.html
http://www.forterietimes.ca/2013/11/27/marineland-burial-permit-issued
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/05/31/beluga-whales-deaths-at-marineland-sparkoutrage
http://www.marinelandindepth.com/2013/11/australias-dateline-focuses-on.html