By Kaitlyn Mitchell
October 8, 2025

After years of advocacy by Animal Justice and partner organizations to end toxicity testing on animals, Canada has released a national “Strategy to replace, reduce, or refine vertebrate animal testing” under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA). This bold and long-overdue Strategy is a major milestone for animal welfare and scientific progress. It follows the passage of Bill S-5 in 2023.

The Strategy is an important foundation. However, ending toxicity testing on animals by 2035—as the governing Liberal Party has pledged—will require sustained leadership, targeted investment, and measurable goals.

A Turning Point for Animals in Research
Canada’s new Strategy lays out a five-part framework for integrating new approach methods (NAMs) into chemical risk assessments. These assessments determine whether a chemical poses risks to the environment or human health. NAMs—such as in vitro assays, AI models, and organ-on-a-chip technologies—often outperform traditional animal methods. They predict outcomes more accurately, work faster, and are more cost-effective. By embracing these modern tools, Canada will protect animals and advance both public health and environmental safety.

Thousands of Canadians commented on the draft Strategy when it was released in September 2024. Their feedback showed strong national concern for animals used in research and a desire for swift action to adopt modern, animal-free science. 

The 5 Pillars of the Strategy:

1. Identification and Prioritization of NAMs for Regulatory Needs: Determine which animal-based tests are still being used and where NAMs can begin to replace them.

2. Advancement of Research and Data Generation: Support scientific efforts to develop, validate, and improve alternative methods.

3. Promotion of Harmonization and Collaboration: Align Canada’s approach with international best practices and regulatory efforts.

4. Communication and Consultation with Stakeholders: Maintaining open dialogue with industry, academia, advocacy groups, and the public.

5. Implementation in CEPA Regulatory Programs: Actively integrate NAMs into regulatory decision-making.

Why Ending Animal Testing Leads to Better Science
Every year, millions of animals are used in Canadian laboratories. About 150,000 are used to test the safety of chemicals, known as toxicity testing—the most harmful use of animals in Canadian science. In some years, more than 90,000 animals have endured toxicity tests falling under Category E—the most severe level of harm recognized by the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC).

Category E tests cause death, severe pain, and extreme distress. They can involve inflicting burns or trauma on unanesthetized animals, or forced ingestion or topical application of deadly substances.

The release of Canada’s new Strategy marks a crucial step toward ending this unimaginable animal suffering.

 
 Four laboratory mice lie dead from asphyxiation by carbon dioxide and will be incinerated. Photo: Roger Kingbird | We Animals
 
Urgent Need for Canada To Invest in Animal-Free Science
The Strategy is a vital first step. But Canada needs to put its money where its mouth is and invest in developing, validating, and using non-animal methods. Canada’s national centre for non-animal research methods, the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods (CCAAM), was established at the University of Windsor. Last year it was forced to close due to a lack of sustained public investment. Unlike the EU, US, Brazil, the Netherlands, and South Korea, the Canadian government has provided no funding for its national centre.

Time is running out to save the CCAAM. Sustained public funding could allow it to reopen in Ottawa and make Canada a world leader in modern, humane science. A national centre for non-animal methods would drive research, foster collaboration, and keep Canada at the cutting edge of global standards.

Funding the CCAAM would also help ensure Canada stays on track toward the goal of ending toxicity testing on animals by 2035.

Staying on Track To End Toxicity Testing on Animals by 2035
During the 2021 election, the governing Liberal Party made a bold commitment to ending toxicity testing on animals by 2035. To reach this goal, Canada needs clear benchmarks to measure progress and ensure accountability—something the Strategy currently lacks.

Unfortunately, the Strategy also fails to prioritize the reduction and ultimate replacement of animals in research over refinement. While “refining” animal testing methods can reduce animal suffering, refinement often means token changes such as extra bedding or larger cages. These adjustments still allow tests that cause severe suffering to continue. 

Animal Justice has long advocated for the creation of a CEPA advisory committee on animal-free science that reports to the Ministers of Health and Environment. This committee would track efforts to phase out animal testing and promote the development of modern, animal-free science across all research areas, including medicine and pest-control safety.

Tell Canada To Invest in Cruelty Free Science
Canada’s new Strategy to replace, reduce or refine vertebrate animal testing under CEPA is cause for celebration. But a future without animal suffering in toxicity testing will require investment, collaboration, and political will. Take action now and urge Canada to fund its national centre for non-animal methods before it’s too late.