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COMPANION ANIMAL WELFARE

DOG POPULATION MANAGEMENT

The Winnipeg Humane Society recognizes the need for dog population management in remote communities in Manitoba. As an animal welfare organization, the Winnipeg Humane Society supports humane dog population management strategies that lead to improved dog welfare and human well-being, and that are sustainable in the long-term. The Winnipeg Humane Society aims to build long-term relationships built on trust with remote community leadership and members. Regarding humane dog population management strategies, the Winnipeg Humane Society takes the following positions:

  1. Sterilization: The Winnipeg Humane Society supports surgical sterilization of dogs by licensed veterinarians using appropriate anesthesia and analgesia.
  2. Removal of dogs (dog pulls): The Winnipeg Humane Society does not support the removal of dogs from communities without consent from the owner of the dog or from community leadership.
    1. All dogs removed from the community must be removed with written consent from the owner or community leadership.
    2. The Winnipeg Humane Society aims to keep pets with their families; we accept relinquished dogs who are in medical distress.

DOG CULLING:

The Winnipeg Humane Society recognizes the danger large groups of roaming dogs can pose to community members, especially children. Dog culls occur predominately after a dog bite incident; free-roaming dogs are shot to reduce overall dog population and assist with public safety. While the Winnipeg Humane Society opposes dog culls as a means of population control and community safety measures, we recognize that the barriers to accessing humane dog population management methods means that community leadership must sometimes resort to dog culls to keep their communities safe. If a dog cull occurs, it should be done humanely to minimize suffering. The Winnipeg Humane Society is working on reducing barriers to accessing humane dog population management methods for remote communities with the aim of eliminating the need for dog culls in remote communities across Manitoba.

Ear Cropping:

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the cropping of a dog’s ears for aesthetic and showing purposes.  The Winnipeg Humane Society does not oppose the cropping of a dog’s ear(s) when deemed medically necessary by a certified Veterinarian.

Tail-Docking:

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the amputation of tails on canines for aesthetic and showing purposes. The Winnipeg Humane Society does not oppose the docking of a dog’s tail when deemed medically necessary by a certified Veterinarian.

Identification Methods:

The Winnipeg Humane Society supports the practice of tattooing the ears of canines and felines as a means of permanent identification, only when done by a certified veterinary professional, using proper anesthesia and analgesia. The Winnipeg Humane Society does not support the use of clamp tattoos as a means of identification.

The Winnipeg Humane Society supports the practice of microchipping canines and felines subcutaneously, as a means of permanent identification, only when done by a certified veterinary professional, with the recommendation of using proper anesthesia and analgesia methods.

Euthanasia:

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the use of euthanasia as a method for population control.  The Winnipeg Humane Society makes every effort to avoid euthanizing animals and only employs accepted humane methods to do so.

Sterilization:

The Winnipeg Humane Society is a strong supporter of surgical sterilization of dogs, cats and rabbits by experienced veterinarians using appropriate anesthesia and analgesia.  The Winnipeg Humane Society believes that spaying and neutering is an essential aspect of responsible pet ownership.   All dogs, cats and rabbits adopted from the Winnipeg Humane Society are sterilized prior to being adopted out to a new home.

Pet Breeding:

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the breeding of pets solely for profit and without proper regard for the health and safety of the animals.  Such examples range from backyard breeders to large scale puppy mills, who seek financial gain over the well-being of the individual animals.

Service Animals:

The Winnipeg Humane Society supports the use of service animals such as guide dogs and therapy dogs as well as emotional support animals when positive reinforcement methods are used to train them and their use as service animals does not harm them.  The Winnipeg Humane Society acknowledges the pivotal role these animals can play in maintaining a person’s overall well-being and calls on all levels of government to further regulate and protect these animals and those that rely upon them.

Breed Neutral Legislation:

The Winnipeg Humane Society endorses breed neutral legislation that focuses on responsible dog ownership, rather than prohibiting the ownerships of specific dog breeds.

Dogs in Sport

The Winnipeg Humane Society advocates for any sporting event involving animals to be carried out in a humane manner and the event does not put the animal at risk of experiencing physical and psychological harm. Though many dogs enjoy running and working, their welfare and health must always be top priority.

 

FARM ANIMAL WELFARE

Pharmaceutical Use in Animal Agriculture

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the proactive giving of antibiotics to livestock as a means of promoting growth and preventing illness and supports the appropriate use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections as needed.

Horse Population Management

The Winnipeg Humane Society discourages the indiscriminate breeding of horses and supports initiatives that control horse population especially male castration.

INTENSIVE CONFINEMENT OF FARM ANIMALS:

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes intensive confinement practices found within industrialized agriculture. Such practices often see hundreds to thousands of any one species housed within a single area, where their ability to move, walk or display natural behaviours is greatly restricted.

Horse Exportation:

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the live exportation of purposely bred draft horses to international destinations like Japan for human consumption.

Horse Slaughter:

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the purchasing of horses from auction for the purpose of sending them to slaughter within Canada. Compromised, geriatric and companion horses are among those purchased, and go on to travel vast distances to one of Canada’s federally approved horse slaughterhouses. The Winnipeg Humane Society feels that this industry is not regulated strongly enough, and therefor has potential to cause severe human health risks and severe equine welfare concerns.

PMU Farming:

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the practice of keeping a mare pregnant and confined within a stall during her entire pregnancy, in order to collect her urine (Pregnant Mare Urine) for pharmaceutical use.

Carriage Horses:

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the use of carriage horses for entertainment purposes. Numerous reports have surfaced nationally showing carriage horses succumbing to their exhaustion, as well as retired carriage horses being bid on by meat buyers at horse auctions.  The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the racing of horses. This includes but is not limited to Thoroughbred racing, chuckwagon racing, chariot racing, and more.

Horse Racing:

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the racing of horses. This includes but is not limited to Thoroughbred racing, chuckwagon racing, chariot racing, and more.

Position Statement Regarding Ag-Gag Legislation:

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes legislation that is intended to make it more difficult to enforce animal protection laws, which decreases the welfare of farmed animals by targeting those advocating on their behalf. The Winnipeg Humane Society calls on all levels of government to instead strengthen animal protection laws and take meaningful steps to increase enforcement of those laws.

Agricultural Displays

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the use of live animals for agricultural displays.

 

Invasive Procedures – Farm Animals  

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes invasive, painful procedures that are done to farm animals to allow for easier confinement. This includes, but is not limited to, beak searing, disbudding, tail clipping, teeth clipping, ear notching, and more.

Rodeos

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes rodeo events which exploit animals for entertainment purposes. Such events include but are not limited to: Bull riding, calf/pig scrambles, steer wrangling, calf roping, and more.

Duration of Livestock Transportation:

The Winnipeg Humane Society supports initiatives the reduce the number of hours livestock can legally be transported without food, water or rest.

Livestock Transportation and Weather Conditions:

The Winnipeg Humane Society supports initiatives that restrict the transportation of livestock in extreme temperatures and weather conditions.

Chick Culling

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the culling of chicks via live grinding and mass suffocation which is a common practice in egg production

 

WILD ANIMAL WELFARE

Hunting

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the hunting of animals for trophy or sport.

Urban Wildlife

The Winnipeg Humane Society supports initiatives that promote peaceful co-existence between humans and urban wildlife.

Goose Population Management

The Winnipeg Humane Society supports nonlethal methods of goose population management, where deterrents do not cause distress or harm to the animals.

Management of Pest Animals 

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes inhumane methods of pest control where death is not instantaneous.  The Winnipeg Humane Society encourages utilizing non-lethal methods for preventing and managing animal species classified as pests wherever possible.

Fur Farms 

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the farming of animals for their fur.

Position Statement Regarding Exotic Pets:

Approved by the WHS Board of Directors in October 2021

The Winnipeg Humane Society supports limitations on the number and type of exotic animals that can be kept as pets. Further, the Winnipeg Humane Society strongly opposes the taking of animals from the wild into captivity, for entertainment or companionship purposes. Our organization continues to advocate for the highest of welfare standards possible for all animals kept as pets regardless of species. As many exotic animals have complex and highly specific husbandry needs, we encourage prospective owners to seek companionship from animals who have proven to thrive when under human care.

Exotic Pet Displays and Presentations:

The Winnipeg Humane Society does not support the transportation and use of exotic animals in traveling displays, educational presentations or for entertainment purposes. Exotic animals not only pose a public safety risk during interactions, they also force non-domesticated species to be displayed in unnatural, stress-inducing environments.  The Winnipeg Humane Society feels that the handling and parading of exotics in unconventional settings promotes ownership, rather than conservation, of complex, misunderstood, and sometimes dangerous animals.

Position Statement Regarding Zoos and Aquariums:

Approved by the WHS Board of Directors on: December 11, 2019

The Winnipeg Humane Society understands the dire need for local and international conservation efforts to be employed by accredited organizations, in order to mitigate habitat destruction and species extinction. As such, the WHS acknowledges that accredited non-profit zoological facilities and aquariums do have a role to play in conservation and public education initiatives.

The WHS applauds facilities that hold a primary focus on the following mandates:

  • Preserve and restore endangered species populations through captive breeding and release programs;
  • Support the investigation of cruelty cases involving exotic animals requiring specialized care;
  • Financially support and partner with global conservation programs;
  • Educate the public on the needs of wild animals, their ecosystems, and how to help.

The Winnipeg Humane Society strongly encourages existing accredited zoological facilities to shift their focus away from displaying live animal species as a means of public education. Rather, the WHS encourages such facilities focus on launching local and global animal conservation initiatives, while simultaneously acting as refuges and sanctuaries for un-releasable wildlife and confiscated exotic pets.

Specifically, the WHS encourages accredited zoological facilities to transition by:

  • Only breeding species classified as endangered, according to their Species Survival Program, including a plan to reintroduce offspring back into the wild;
  • Provide larger public education displays that stress the themes of climate change, habitat destruction and appropriate courses of action that the public can take;
  • Take into account the complex and lasting maternal and social relationships various animals form, and the psychological impact that occurs when separating and shipping animals to other facilities;
  • Exceed currently accepted industry standards as they relate to the training and husbandry of all animals within zoological facilities, including the ability to allow all housed species to carry out their most basic natural instincts like flying, migrating, burrowing, foraging, etc;
  • Act as sanctuaries for un-releasable wild animals and refuges for the thousands of inappropriate exotic pets (caimen, tigers, kinkajous, etc) that can be found across Canada;
  • Pledge to stop transporting display animals (including reptiles) off-site to use them as live props while conducting educational programs.

The Winnipeg Humane Society strongly opposes facilities that display wild animals and the primary business is to profit from public interaction and viewing of the displayed animals. These type of activities have no place in a humane and respectful community.

Crustacean Welfare:

The Winnipeg Humane Society acknowledges that crustaceans are sentient animals that feel pain, and supports initiatives that diminish their suffering while in captivity.

GENERAL ANIMAL WELFARE

Use of Cosmetic Pesticides

The Winnipeg Humane Society does not support the use of cosmetic pesticides for their inherent risk to animal, human, and environmental health.

Animal Abuse Registry:

Animal abuse registries are an increasingly important law enforcement tool and screening mechanism to protect animals from harm.  The Winnipeg Humane Society supports the creation of a national animal abuse registry and calls on all levels of government to work together to create a comprehensive registry accessible by law enforcement and those organizations that sell or adopt animals to the general public (such as animal shelters and pet stores).

Animal Training Methods:

The WHS supports training methods that revolve around how each individual animal processes and learns about their environment. As such, the WHS utilizes humane teaching methods in an environment that promotes kindness and respect for the welfare of the animal.

When training, the WHS supports the use of positive reinforcement methods such as treats and play rewards and does not support methods of handling that evoke fear or inflict pain.

The WHS is opposed to any training equipment that causes an animal to experience physical discomfort or undue fear or anxiety. Such examples include pinch collars, shock collars, water spraying, electric fences, and more.

Cosmetic Testing on Animals:

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes testing on animals for cosmetic purposes.

Selective Breeding of Animals:

The Winnipeg Humane Society opposes the selective breeding of animals when such methods alter an animal’s conformation to the point that an animal experiences direct or indirect suffering as a result.

Animal Slaughter:

The Winnipeg Humane Society only supports methods of slaughter that instantly render the animal unconscious and see that the animal experiences little to no suffering or distress prior to, and during, the slaughter process.