Ontario Must Crack Down on Cruel Roadside Zoos

Animals across Ontario are suffering in roadside zoos. The province’s abysmal zoo laws—the weakest in Canada—don’t even require zoos to be licensed or routinely inspected. This regulatory vacuum has allowed roadside zoos to proliferate, leaving animals to endure barren, inadequate conditions with minimal oversight.

The recent guilty plea to three counts of animal abuse by the operator of Bervie Zoo exposes how broken the system is. He received no jail time, no fines, no criminal record, and no ban on owning animals.

It’s time for Ontario to implement mandatory zoo licensing, regular unannounced inspections, meaningful penalties, and clear authority to shut down zoos where animals are in distress.

Tell the Solicitor General to fix Ontario’s broken zoo oversight system.

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It’s time for Ontario to implement mandatory zoo licensing, regular unannounced inspections, meaningful penalties, and clear authority to shut down zoos where animals are in distress.

Tell the Solicitor General to fix Ontario’s broken zoo oversight system.