Late last year, Research Co. and Glacier Media took an initial look at the relationship between Canadians and animals.
At the time, the country’s residents appeared to express outright dismay at practices like trophy hunting and killing animals for their fur, but sizable majorities had no problems with eating animals or hunting them for meat.
In 2020, we wanted to once again review the feelings of Canadians but adding the perspectives of our southern neighbours. The two-country survey shows that the views of Canadians and Americans are common on some crucial topics, even if the prevalence of certain attitudes related to animals is not as significant in some parts of the United States.
Across the two countries, about three in four residents (76 per cent in Canada and 75 per cent in the United States) are in favour of eating animals. Opposition to this custom is highest among women (24 per cent in each country) and residents aged 18 to 34 (27 per cent in Canada and 25 per cent in the U.S.). Quebec (23 per cent) and the Northeast (26 per cent) are the North American regions with the largest appetite for vegetarianism or veganism.
The numbers are also consistent when it comes to hunting animals for meat, with 65 per cent of Canadians and 67 per cent of Americans having no qualms about this practice. In both countries, men are more likely to endorse hunting animals for meat than women.
One of the biggest differences between Canadians and Americans is observed in their opinions on zoos and aquariums. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the activities of these venues, some of which are bringing in fewer visitors in an attempt to abide by social distancing guidelines. Others have temporarily closed their doors.
In Canada, half of residents (51 per cent) are opposed to keeping animals in zoos or aquariums, while 39% are in favour of this custom. Support varies across the country, from a low of 35 per cent in Ontario to a high of 46 per cent in Alberta. Almost half of Canadian men (47 per cent) do not have a problem with animals in captivity, compared to just one third of women (33 per cent).
There are some sizable differences on political allegiance, with support for keeping animals in zoos or aquariums climbing from 35 per cent among Liberal Party voters in the 2019 federal election, to 40 per cent among New Democratic Party (NDP) supporters, to 50 per cent for Conservative Party voters.
The findings change in the United States, where there are no major regional fluctuations. Almost two-thirds of Americans (64 per cent) are in favour of keeping animals in zoos or aquariums, and just over three in 10 (31 per cent) are opposed.
The issue of using animals in rodeos is decidedly more contentious in the United States. Americans are evenly divided on this practice, with 46 per cent saying they are in favour of it and 46% opposing it. The gender gap is large, with 58 per cent of men supporting the use of animals in rodeos compared to only 34 per cent of women. Republican Party sympathizers are also significantly more likely to be in favour of rodeos (65 per cent) than Independents (37 per cent) and Democrats (36 per cent).
In Canada, as was the case last year, opponents of the use of animals in rodeos outnumber enthusiasts by a two-to-one margin (62 to 32 per cent). In Alberta, 49% of residents are in favour of using animals in rodeos. Support is significantly lower in British Columbia (33 per cent), Quebec (27 per cent) and Ontario (25 per cent).
Two other customs are unquestionably less popular in North America. Only 25 per cent of Americans and 19 per cent of Canadians are in favour of killing animals for their fur. Aversion to the practice is highest among women (85 per cent in the United States and 83 per cent in Canada).
On the issue of hunting animals for sport, positive perceptions in Canada have fallen to single digits, with just eight per cent of Canadians favouring this practice. Support for trophy hunting plummets to just five per cent among Canadians aged 55 and over.
In the United States, 25 per cent of Americans are in favour of hunting animals for sport. The expected gender gap persists (39 per cent among men, 11 per cent among women). Also, while only 16 per cent of Democrats favour trophy hunting, support climbs to 44 per cent among Republicans.
There are several disparities in the way Canadians and Americans relate to animals. On the convoluted issue of entertainment, the views of Canadians have evolved at a faster pace. Both countries hold roughly the same opinions on food and are developing a greater disgust for the use of animals as garments and trophies.
Mario Canseco is president of Research Co.
Results are based on online studies conducted from September 4 to September 6, 2020, among representative samples of 1,000 adults in Canada and 1,200 adults in the United States. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian and U.S. census figures for age, gender and region in each country. The margin of error, which measures sample variability, is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points for Canada and plus or minus 2.8 percentage points for the United States.
