Ontario remains one of the largest users of pet dogs and cats in research. Between 2018 and 2022, more than 22,000 dogs and cats were used in Ontario research, with over 13,000 acquired directly through municipal pounds or the “Donated by Owner” category, according to government statistics.
Ontario law not only allows but requires municipal shelters to sell animals to research facilities through the Ontario Animals for Research Act. These outdated practices offer researchers a “cost-effective” way to acquire animals, with some Ontario shelters selling dogs for as little as $6 and cats for just $2.
In November 2025, the Ontario government tabled a bill (Bill 75) and released a regulatory proposal (Proposal 52653) to “prohibit invasive medical research on dogs and cats.” This legislation marks historic progress in Ontario, something we have been working tirelessly on for 34 years.
While this is a significant milestone and an important shift, exceptions and vague language create gaps that will allow certain forms of harmful research on cats and dogs to continue.
After reviewing the regulatory proposal in depth, we see that many of our detailed recommendations to the government for improving the legislation were not fully reflected.
The bill has now passed, but Ontario must now move forward with the associated regulations. As such, we encourage you to help us push for strong regulations to ensure the law lives up to its promise: that dogs and cats are no longer subjects of harmful experiments, and that scientific research itself becomes more humane and accountable across the board to all other animals used in research.
Please help us update Ontario’s Animals for Research Act regulations by signing the form above.
A copy of this email will be sent to Ontario’s Premier and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (who oversees and enforces Ontario’s Animals for Research Act), and your Member of Provincial Parliament.
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Educate yourself and protect your pets
- Download our No Pets in Research Campaign package and share it within your network! Click here to download.
- Click here to read more about our No Pets in Research Campaign
