Ford’s penned dog hunting revival is to serve his own political agenda

December 16, 2024

QUEEN'S PARK — Ontario Greens released the following statement in response to news that the Ford government has started accepting new applications for penned dog hunting licenses, which have been banned in Ontario for the past 25 years due to animal cruelty concerns.

“Penned dog hunting is an extremely outdated and fringe practice in which hunting dogs are made to chase wildlife in a confined pen for hours at a time,” said Ontario Greens Deputy Leader and Parry Sound–Muskoka candidate Matt Richter. “It’s become almost obsolete in Ontario, and yet the Ford government wants to revive it to advance the interests of a handful of insiders.

“There’s a reason that penned dog hunting is banned in almost every other province in Canada. It’s cruel to the wildlife being used as live bait, it puts the dogs being trained to hunt in danger and it undermines confidence in responsible hunting practices.”

“It’s disappointing that the Premier and Natural Resources Minister Graydon Smith are trying to revive this outdated and cruel practice to serve their own political interests,” said Ontario Greens Leader Mike Schreiner.

“The Mike Harris government started the phase out of penned dog hunting because it has no place in our province, and it’s shocking that anyone in the Ford government believes otherwise.”

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