ONLINE PANEL: Dogs Leading the Way Out of Animal Experimentation

Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026 
Time: 7:00–8:30 PM ET
Via Zoom

Recent high-profile exposés of dogs used in Canadian laboratories have put companion animals at the centre of the fight to end animal suffering in biomedical research.

In 2025, with the help of two whistleblowers, Animal Justice revealed a secret dog-testing lab at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ontario. The public outrage that followed helped force the hospital to shut down the lab, and the surviving dogs were rehomed. The exposé also helped lead to Ontario becoming the first province in Canada to pass legislation prohibiting most invasive research on dogs and cats.

More recently, an investigation by Last Chance for Animals exposed the cruel treatment of beagles at Nucro-Technics, Canada’s largest contract animal research facility, which sourced many of its dogs from the controversial and now-shuttered Ridglan Farms.

These cases have created a rare and urgent opening for change.

In this panel, we'll look at:

• How to help ensure dogs and cats are rehomed before Ontario’s Bill 75 comes into force in January
• How to push for similar protections for companion animals across the rest of Canada
• Using this momentum to move toward replacing all animals in research
• The case for animal-free science and how supporters can help advance it

This is a moment to fight for dogs and cats—and to build toward a future where no animal is made to suffer and die in the name of research.

Our panelists:

• Dr. Charu Chandrasekera: Scientist & Founder of Canada’s first animal-free science centre
• Kaitlyn Mitchell: Animal Justice’s Director of Legal Advocacy
• Alex Mooney: Whistleblower at St. Joseph’s dog lab
• Dr. Stacy Lopresti-Goodman: Director of the Animal Law Education and Scholarship Program at the Animal Legal Defense Fund
• Nives Ilic & Mack: Animal Justice’s Mobilization Manager & former lab dog  

Hosted by: Animal Justice’s Kimberly Carroll