Humane Canada: Animal Welfare Elevated Since 1957
Humane Canada works diligently to earn our solid reputation as the national voice for animal welfare in Canada. Below are a few of the highlights of our achievements since our organization was founded on August 7, 1957.
1957: Founding of Humane Canada
1960: Creation of Humane Slaughter Act
1968: Founding of Canadian Council on Animal Care
1970: Passing of Animal Transport Act
1980s: Founding of Canada’s Codes of Practice for Farm Animals
1994: Regulations on import of puppies from the US
1995: Founded National Companion Animal Coalition
1995: Began harmonizing pet microchipping systems across Canada
1998: Report to Parliament on amending the Criminal Code
2005: Founding of National Farm Animal Care Council
2007: Revisions to animal cruelty provisions in Criminal Code
2012: First-ever national report on cat welfare in Canada
2013: Creation of Canadian Standards of Care for Shelter Animals
2014: Creation of the National Animal Welfare Conference
2015: Secured greater protections for police, military & service animals in Canada via Quanto’s Law
2015: Founding of National Centre for the Prosecution of Animal Cruelty (NCPAC)
2016: First-ever national report on SPCAs and humane societies in Canada
2016: Launch of Canada’s only bilingual animal cruelty case law database
2017: National ban of battery cages & introduction of cage-free standards for hens
2019: Bill C-84 modernized. The legal term ‘bestiality: now refers to all sexual abuse of animals, not just the act of penetration. Bill C-84 signals Canada’s new priority on fighting animal crimes.
2019: Canada’s Free Willy Law, Bill C-203, bans the captivity of whales and dolphins. In addition, this important bill also bans breeding of captive whales and dolphins.
2020: Launched the “Measuring Progress Toward a Humane Canada” indicators report.
2022: Bill S-5 passes in the Senate and is an act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, phasing out chemical testing on animals.
2023: Bill C-47 amends the Food and Drugs Act and bans both the testing of cosmetic products on animals and the sale of products relying on animal testing.