E-7443 Captive wildlife facility oversight reform Petition Tracker | Signature Growth — Canadian Petition Tracker
Track E-7443 — Captive wildlife facility oversight reform — with 653 signatures and counting. Sponsored by Elizabeth May. See signature growth trends and provincial breakdown on PetitionTracker.ca.
Canonical URL: https://petitiontracker.ca/petition/e-7443
Petition Details
- Status: Active — open for signatures
- Closing date: September 24, 2026
- Sponsor: Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
- Category: Animals
Signature Statistics
- Total signatures: 653
- Daily increase: +1 in the last 24 hours
- Seven-day increase: +9 over the last 7 days
- Growth velocity: ~1 new signatures per day (7-day average)
- Tracking started: May 27, 2026 — 253 data points recorded
Milestones
- Debate threshold (500 signatures) reached on August 17, 2026 — total at that point: 510
Provincial Distribution
- Ontario: 228 signatures
- Quebec: 166 signatures
- Alberta: 120 signatures
- British Columbia: 88 signatures
- Manitoba: 13 signatures
- Saskatchewan: 13 signatures
- Nova Scotia: 11 signatures
- New Brunswick: 5 signatures
- Newfoundland and Labrador: 2 signatures
- Yukon: 1 signatures
Historical Signature Growth
| Date | Signatures |
|---|
| May 27, 2026 | 8 |
| June 1, 2026 | 162 |
| June 8, 2026 | 220 |
| June 15, 2026 | 256 |
| June 22, 2026 | 287 |
| July 7, 2026 | 314 |
| July 17, 2026 | 342 |
| July 30, 2026 | 368 |
| August 8, 2026 | 430 |
| August 13, 2026 | 455 |
| August 18, 2026 | 588 |
| August 24, 2026 | 630 |
| September 8, 2026 | 653 |
Petition Text
Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled
Whereas:
• Canada lacks independent, government-led oversight of captive wildlife facilities, relying on industry self-regulation that lacks transparency, accountability, and enforcement. Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) functions as both an industry lobby group and a self-appointed accreditation authority, creating conflicts of interest that undermine effective animal welfare enforcement;
• CAZA does not publicly disclose inspection findings or accreditation decisions and has failed to revoke accreditation despite documented cases of serious animal cruelty and neglect. The prolonged suffering of Lucy, the lone elephant at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, illustrates these failures, while leadership overlap between the zoo and CAZA raises conflict-of-interest concerns; and
• Unaccredited roadside zoos and private wildlife facilities operate with little or no oversight, often resulting in inadequate housing, social isolation, and insufficient veterinary care. Inconsistent provincial regulations, including gaps in captive wildlife legislation, demonstrate the need for federal leadership.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to 1. Establish mandatory, independent federal inspections of all captive wildlife facilities; 2. Prohibit bullhooks and other pain-based control tools, and require protected contact handling consistent with modern sanctuary standards; 3. Implement enforceable national standards for humane care, housing, enrichment, and veterinary care, including bans on solitary confinement of highly social species; 4. Require public access to inspection reports, violations, and enforcement actions; 5. Grant federal authorities enforcement powers, including fines, prosecutions, and facility closures; and
1. Establish mandatory, independent federal inspections of all captive wildlife facilities;
2. Prohibit bullhooks and other pain-based control tools, and require protected contact handling consistent with modern sanctuary standards;
3. Implement enforceable national standards for humane care, housing, enrichment, and veterinary care, including bans on solitary confinement of highly social species;
4. Require public access to inspection reports, violations, and enforcement actions;
5. Grant federal authorities enforcement powers, including fines, prosecutions, and facility closures; and
6. Enact federal legislation to replace industry self-regulation and inconsistent provincial oversight.
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