As Marineland returns to court, new polling shows vast majority of Ontarians support overhaul of Animal Welfare Legislation

88% support provincial regulations that would require all zoos to have licenses and meet animal welfare standards

TORONTO, March 23, 2022 /CNW/ - As Marineland returns to court facing a charge related to its alleged use of whales and dolphins in shows, new polling completed by Nanos Research for World Animal Protection shows a majority of Ontarians support provincial regulations requiring zoos to be regulated and prohibiting them from offering close interactions with wild animals if it poses a risk to the animal or humans. 

As it stands, it's mostly left up to individual municipalities to regulate zoos in Ontario leading to a patchwork of regulations that leads to less accountability for businesses using animals for entertainment. 

The Nanos polling completed between February 23 and March 1 found a strong majority of Ontarians support (88%) or somewhat support (9%) provincial regulations that would require all zoos to have a license and meet animal welfare standards and public safety standards. This is consistent across age, gender and regions*.

"There is overwhelming support for there to be provincial regulations of zoos in Ontario," said Michèle Hamers, wildlife campaign manager for World Animal Protection. "We are calling on the provincial government in addition to opposition parties to work together to create regulations ahead of the upcoming 'roadside zoo' season and ahead of June's election."

Additional findings include a majority (72%) support or (15%) somewhat support provincial regulations to ban zoos and mobile zoos if those activities pose a health or safety risk to people or animals.

World Animal Protection has been campaigning for over 20 years to push all levels of government to create regulations in this space as well as banning keeping tigers and other wild animals as pets or for so-called 'roadside zoos'.

The organization was a key player in providing research and support to introducing the Jane Goodall Bill in the Senate which would significantly restrict the ownership of exotic animals in Canada and lead to the end of most unregulated and underregulated zoos (also known as roadside zoos) in Canada. 

"The reintroduction of the Jane Goodall Bill is an exciting step forward, it remains critical for Ontario to address captive wildlife issues, and this poll shows an overwhelming majority will support that," added Hamers. 

World Animal Protection has spokespeople available to speak to the poll results and our efforts to push to tighten regulations. 

*Source: Nanos Research, RDD dual frame hybrid telephone and online random survey, February 23rd to March 1st, 2022, n=1020 Ontarians, accurate 3.1 percentage points plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.

About World Animal Protection

From our offices worldwide, including China, Brazil, Kenya, and Canada, we move the world to protect animals. Last year, we gave more than 220 million animals better lives through our campaigns that focus on animals in the wild, animals in disasters, animals in communities, and animals in farming. For more information visit www.worldanimalprotection.ca

SOURCE World Animal Protection

or interview requests: Beth Sharpe, Communications Director for World Animal Protection Canada, [email protected]