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e-3763 (Animals)

E-petition
Initiated by Teresa Knight from Union bay, British Columbia

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:
  • The European Parliament voted to phase out the use of animals in research on September 15, 2021, for good reason;
  • Animal models do not closely resemble human biological systems, and thus produce errors in findings;
  • The use of animals in experiments involves cruelty and a lack of respect and compassion for the lives of animals, which citizens increasingly object to; and
  • Using animals in research can cause unintended pandemics.
We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to follow the lead of the European Parliament and commit to phasing out the use of animals in all research, with a timeline of achieving this the shortest possible.

Response by the Minister of Health

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam van Koeverden

The Government of Canada recognizes that Canadians are concerned about the wellbeing of animals and the potential harm caused by using them in research. It is for this reason that the Government is taking concrete actions to reduce the use of animals in research and testing. The Government has introduced amendments to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) in Bill S-5 that includes provisions to encourage reduced reliance on vertebrate animal testing and promote research towards the development of scientifically sound non-animal testing methods. The Government is also working to introduce legislation to ban the testing of cosmetics on animals.

To ensure that decisions continue to be supported by the best available scientific evidence and to support the phase-out of animals in toxicity testing, scientists at Health Canada are working with the scientific community worldwide to develop and implement effective non-animal models and to use state of the art technology, such as computational approaches or cultured human cells, to replace animal models of human disease.

The Government of Canada is committed to supporting scientific efforts to reduce the need for animal experiments and to replace animal models with appropriate and validated non-animal alternatives. Like many of our international counterparts, the Government will continue taking steps towards phasing out testing on animals in research, so that decisions that impact the health of Canadians remain supported by the best available science.

Open for signature
December 22, 2021, at 3:16 p.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
March 22, 2022, at 3:16 p.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
April 29, 2022 (Petition No. 441-00405)
Government response tabled
June 1, 2022
Photo - Elizabeth May
Saanich—Gulf Islands
Green Party Caucus
British Columbia