Ontario has become the first province in Canada to ban invasive medical experiments on dogs and cats after lawmakers approved amendments to the Animals for Research Act through Bill 75.
The decision marks a major win for animal welfare advocates, who have campaigned for years to end painful laboratory testing on companion animals. The move follows public outrage over a dog research program at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ontario, where dogs were reportedly used in invasive cardiac experiments before being euthanized.
Animal Justice, the organization that helped expose the program, welcomed the legislation as a historic step forward. Advocates say the ban reflects growing public support for alternative research methods that do not involve animals.
The organization is now calling on the province to ensure that dogs and cats currently housed in research facilities are rehabilitated and placed in loving homes.