Canada | Humane World for Animals
Our Impact
More than 80,000 animal species range across Canada’s vast and varied environments. Unfortunately, many of these wild animals face threats from humans. Each year, millions are subjected to cruel practices such as the global trade in wild animal parts, trophy hunting, captivity, wildlife culls and more.
million
meals are being converted to plant-based in Canada each year because of our work, ultimately removing up to 472,500 animals from the food system annually
50,000
animals
in urgent need have been helped through our direct care programs
10
landmark
political reforms led by Humane World for Animals Canada will protect millions of animals from suffering
What we are working on
We create lasting change for animals by empowering people to take compassionate action. We support communities, governments, and organizations in making informed choices that improve animal welfare through guidance and evidence‑based policy advocacy. Our areas of expertise span wildlife, companion animals, animals used in research, and farm animals, enabling us to drive systemic improvements for all animals across Canada.
Tom and Pat Leeson
Trophy hunting
Trophy hunting is the unethical practice of killing wildlife for entertainment to obtain the animal’s body or its parts, such as head, teeth, horns or tails, for display as a trophy. It is not only unethical killing of animals, but can harm conservation efforts by exacerbating direct and indirect threats facing many imperiled species.
Humane World for Animals
Companion animals
Our work is dedicated to ending the dog meat trade, stopping puppy mills, promoting responsible adoption, providing spay and neuter clinics, ensuring animals in remote communities have access to care, and more. We assist authorities in enforcing animal protection laws through expertise, funding, and resources. Our care and rehabilitation centre has helped heal thousands of animals on their way to loving homes.
Kristo Muurimaa
End fur farming
Millions of animals suffer and die every year for fashion. Confined in small, wire-mesh cages on factory farms or captured by brutal metal traps in the wild, their fur is turned into frivolous keychain trinkets or trim on coats and hats. Animals need fur—people don't. We're fighting to end fur farming worldwide.
Kathy Milani/The HSUS
Horse protection
Every year, Canada exports thousands of live horses by air to Japan for slaughter. Confined in small wooden crates, often multiple animals per crate without segregation, these horses endure a long and stressful journey without food, water or rest, only to be killed for their meat. Humane World for Animals Canada is working toward a federal ban on the live export of horses by air for slaughter.
Photo by Meredith Lee/HSI
Many of the animals were confined in dark, barren, dilapidated enclosures.
Animals in entertainment
Wild animals should live in their natural habitats, not held in captivity for human entertainment. These animals often endure dirty, unsafe conditions, receive inadequate care, and cannot display their natural behaviors, all of which negatively affect their physical and mental well-being. Humane World for Animals Canada is advocating for stronger provincial and national policy around unethical zoos.
Brandon Laufenberg/iStock
Mice, rabbits and other animals suffer in labs worldwide.
Animal testing and research
Millions of animals, including dogs, monkeys, rabbits, and mice, endure invasive and painful experiments every year. There are no federal laws offering protection for animals in laboratories. We’re working to change that. We are engaging with governments to replace cruel, outdated animal testing with modern, animal-free research methods that are better for both people and animals.
Highlights of our work
Health Canada announced a strychnine poisoning ban
After years of advocacy and campaigning, Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency decided to cease the use of the poison strychnine for killing wild animals, including wolves, coyotes and black bears. Strychnine is notorious for causing some of the most agonizing symptoms of any poison, including muscular convulsions that can last up to 24 hours or longer.
Canada enacts historic ban on elephant ivory and rhino horn trade
Following a seven-year campaign by Humane World for Animals Canada, the Canadian government banned domestic trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn, as well as the import of hunting trophies containing these parts. The landmark measures fulfilled a 2021 Ministerial mandate and were a critical step in protecting these iconic species.
British Columbia banned mink fur farming
In the wake of multiple outbreaks of COVID-19 on BC fur farms—and an incident in which infectious mink escaped from a quarantined facility—the provincial government announced a phase-out of mink farming. Mink farming is exceptionally cruel, intensively confining highly intelligent, semi-aquatic wild animals and denying them their most basic of needs.
Canada bans captivity of whales and dolphins for entertainment
Humane World for Animals Canada worked to help pass The Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act or the “Free Willy Bill,” which imposed a sweeping ban on the trade, possession, capture and breeding of all cetaceans for entertainment.
Canada bans shark finning and shark fin trade
Canada, once the largest importer of shark fins outside Asia, passed a landmark bill that included measures to prohibit the trade in shark fins nationally as well as finning in Canadian waters. Humane World for Animals campaigned for the ban for a decade.
Grizzly bear hunting ends in BC
Following a longstanding campaign by animal welfare, conservation and First Nations groups, the Government of British Columbia finally ended the hunting of grizzly bears throughout the province. The decision eliminates loopholes that would have allowed trophy hunting of grizzlies to continue, while respecting the will of the overwhelming majority of BC residents.
Take Action
You can make a real difference for animals.
Petitions
End cruel confinement
Ask Canada grocery retailers to require real progress for farmed animals.
Urge Canada to invest in humane science
In Canada, millions of animals are still used in painful experiments.
Stop the import of endangered primates
Canada imports endangered primates to suffer in research and testing laboratories.
Urge Quebec to prohibit force-feeding for foie gras
Force-feeding animals until their organs become diseased urgently needs to end.
End the captivity of wildlife for entertainment
Big cats, elephants and great apes are suffering in captivity across Canada.
Help dogs get a second chance in Canada
Allow rescue organizations in Canada to continue to help dogs from around the world.
Stop the captivity of wildlife in Quebec
Help us ensure that no animal suffers at the hands of roadside zoos in Quebec ever again.
British Columbia: End wildlife killing contests
Please act now to help ban wildlife killing contests in British Columbia.
Animals are suffering at Marineland
Marineland has a history of being investigated for animal abuse, neglect and exploitation.
End the export of live horses for slaughter
Horses are flown by air, crammed into wooden crates without water, food or rest.
Ban fur farming across Canada
Hundreds of thousands of animals—mostly mink and foxes—are living in misery on factory fur farms in Canada. Join our call for an end to this cruelty.
Latest News
New report from major animal protection groups exposes failures in Canada’s farmed animal welfare system
The report demonstrates how Canada's laissez-faire, industry-driven approach to farmed animal welfare permits and normalizes cruel practices that most Canadians find deeply troubling and that fail to meet global animal welfare norms.
Animal protection and environment groups denounce emergency use of strychnine in Alberta and Saskatchewan
In a shocking decision, Health Canada reversed its previous ban on the notoriously cruel poison strychnine, granting Alberta and Saskatchewan emergency use permits to kill ground squirrels until November 2027.
Enquête investigation exposes severe mistreatment of animals in Quebec roadside zoos
By not requiring rigorous standards for the sourcing, care, housing and security of captive wild animals, Quebec allows irresponsible operators to profit from animal suffering.
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