We did it! Canada’s House of Commons just passed a groundbreaking bill that will end some of the worst and most painful forms of animal experimentation.
Bill S-5, Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act, is a long-overdue government bill that revamps the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), one of the most important environmental laws in the country that regulates toxic substances to protect people, animals, and the planet.
Bill S-5 requires the government to support and start using cruelty-free alternatives to toxicity testing on animals, empowers the government to make regulations about how non-animal testing should be done, and publish a plan within the next two years to promote animal-free toxicity testing methods.
Animal Justice and partner organizations worked with lawmakers to push forward amendments ensuring the Bill includes a roadmap to reduce and replace the use of animals in toxicity testing.
Many toxicity tests fall into “Category E”—the most severe category of harm that animals can experience, according to the Canadian Council on Animal Care. Each year, up to 90,000 animals in Canada experience Category E toxicity tests that cause death, severe pain, and extreme distress. These tests can involve inflicting burns or trauma on unanesthetized animals, and forced ingestion or topical application of deadly substances.
We’re incredibly grateful for all of the compassionate citizens, politicians, and animal protection groups that worked to ensure the Bill would ultimately end toxicity testing on animals. The Bill will now return to the Senate for a final review before it becomes law.
One More Step—Regulations Still Need Amending
Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada are consulting the public until June 9 on whether to amend regulations relating to chemicals and polymers under Act.
We’re asking for the regulations to be amended to support the important improvements made to the Act itself in Bill S-5 and ensure Canada eliminates toxicity testing on animals altogether by 2035 at the latest—which is the deadline in the governing Liberals’ 2021 election promise.
Please join us in taking part in the public consultation before the deadline!
Source: Animaljustice.ca
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