Canada: Ontario ends invasive testing on dogs and cats under Animals for Research Act change

Ontario has updated its Animals for Research Act to forbid invasive medical testing on dogs and cats, becoming the first province in Canada to introduce such a restriction. 

This change was included within Bill 75, Keeping Criminals Behind Bars Act, 2026, which was approved in its final vote in the legislature on 21 May 2026. 

The decision followed revelations about a hidden dog laboratory at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Investigations exposed that dogs were used in invasive cardiac experiments before being killed.