Starting in October 2021, we began a partnership with the Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy to publish the Brooks Animal Law Digest: Canada Edition (“the Digest”), a free twice-a-month update on developments in Canadian animal law written by the University of Toronto Animal Law Research Associate.
In March 2022, the Bora Laskin Law Library launched the Animal Law Research Guide consisting of lists of sources in Canadian animal law.
Between 2021 and 2023, the Canadian Animal Law Conference was co-hosted by Animal Justice and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. The Animal Law & Advocacy Conference 2026 will take place from October 2 – 4, 2026 at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).
The Animals and the Law Practicum launched in the Fall of 2024. As part of the Animals and the Law course (LAW253H1F), students have the option to work on a current animal law assignment in collaboration with lawyers at AEL Advocacy.
University of Toronto membership in BASAN made possible a number of initiatives, including student research assistantships for U of T law students at partnership institutions. Placements included:
- Clara Pencer (JD 2023) to work on the report Animal Markets and Zoonotic Disease in the United States) at the Harvard Law School, Brooks McCormick Jr Animal Law and Policy Program
- Students at Yale Law School in the Law, Environment & Animals Program (LEAP), including:
- Amit Singh (JD 2021) to work with the Climate Change and Animal Agriculture Litigation Initiative; and
- Astara Truman (JD 2027) & Harleen Grewal (JD 2027) to work on the Animal Agriculture and Accountability Project
For the 2026/27 academic year, the Animal Law Program is partnering with Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC) to provide law students with hands-on experience in animal law and public interest research. Students will review Animal Law Digest Canada content, identify emerging legal developments and trends, assist with the annual Year-in-Review Compendium, organize research materials, and contribute to the Program’s internal animal law trends database. Students may also support related research projects connected to the Digest and Research Guide, as opportunities arise.
The full project description and recruitment details for the 2026/27 academic year will be available soon.
This lab at the University of Saskatchewan focuses on interactions between animals and people, specifically service dogs, therapy dogs, and emotional support animals.
The Animal Law Program is part of the PAWSitive Connection Lab's newly launched Human-Animal Connections Network, a first-of-its-kind SSHRC-funded national research collaboration bringing together 116+ local, national, and international partners to explore how relationships between humans and animals affect health, wellbeing, and social connection, while also centering animal perspectives and welfare.
Participating in One Health Partners’(OHP) therapy dog program, Paws to Care at the Faculty of Law and University of Toronto Schools and research collaborations with OHP Innovation Lab relating to One Health initiatives and the human-animal bond.