After years of advocacy by Animal Justice and other organizations, Canada passed Bill S-5 in 2023, bringing us one important step closer to phasing out painful toxicity testing on animals. Toxicity testing to determine whether chemicals are safe for humans and the environment is the most harmful use of animals in Canadian science. This groundbreaking new law aims to reduce and replace the use of animals in toxicity testing of chemicals.
Toxicity Testing Causes Horrific Animal Suffering
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 (CCAC). These tests subject animals to harsh conditions, such as forced ingestion leading to vomiting and organ failure; exposure to chemicals in confined chambers, causing burning in the throat and lungs; and the application of chemicals into their skin or eyes, resulting in sores, rashes, and severe discomfort. During these tests, animals are repeatedly exposed to chemicals from days to months—remaining conscious and without painkillers–enduring pain far beyond their tolerance levels.
Once an experiment is done, the animals involved are killed to examine their bodies. In 2022 alone, more than 105,000 animals were used in Category E toxicity tests. Animals commonly used include rats, mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, and even dogs.
Cruelty-free science in Canada is at risk—why hasn’t the government kept its promise to fund humane research? 💔🐭 #CdnPoli Share on X
Animals suffer and die in these tests even though non-animal methods (“NAMs”) are often more predictive of human health and environmental outcomes than traditional animal testing. They also tend to be more time- and cost-effective than methods using animals. Thankfully, non-animal testing methods—including cell and tissue tests (toxicity-in-a-Petri dish), computer models, and other sophisticated methods—are becoming increasingly available. It is important to urge the government to accept these NAMs into the chemical risk assessment frameworks in a timely manner.
Funding Needed To Develop Non-Animal Methods
To support the shift away from toxicity testing on animals, as well as the development of cutting-edge, animal-free research methods in biomedical research and other fields, public funding is urgently needed. Unlike similar national centres across the globe in countries such as the US, the UK, Japan, Brazil, the Netherlands, and South Korea, Canada’s national centre dedicated to developing, validating, and promoting non-animal methods has received no public funding to date, and has been forced to close its doors.
The Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods (CCAAM) was Canada’s only national hub and a key international interface—representing Canada, alongside Health Canada in international consortia with similar centres worldwide. However, CCAAM has recently lost its home due to budgetary constraints at the University of Windsor. It is now facing the imminent threat of permanent closure without federal funding. Sustainable funding is critical to prevent this loss and to ensure the Centre’s relocation to the nation’s capital, where it can continue expanding its vital role as Canada’s national centre for cutting-edge, animal-free science.
Legislation, ethics, national strategic roadmaps, and scientific innovations are driving countries worldwide to adopt non-animal methods for toxicity testing. While Canada has lagged behind in the development of these methods, the passage of Bill S-5 marked an unprecedented and timely opportunity for Canada to shift to a global leadership role in 21st-century animal-free science. Now is the time for Canada to invest in cutting edge science and ensure this opportunity is not lost.
Take action now and tell Canada you support efforts to phase out toxicity testing on animals, and that you want to see funding allocated so that Canada can truly be a leader on the global stage when it comes to cutting edge, non-animal research methods.
