Majorities of Canadians are also opposed to keeping animals in zoos or aquariums, killing animals for their fur and trophy hunting.
Vancouver, BC [September 1, 2023] – Just over two thirds of Canadians are against the use of animals in rodeos, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 67% of Canadians are opposed to the practice, up six points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in April 2022.
Just under one-in-four Canadians (24%, -5) are in favour of using animals in rodeos—a proportion that rises to 31% in Alberta and to 30% in Atlantic Canada.
“Since 2019, the proportion of Canadians who approve of the use of animals in rodeos has fallen by 10 points,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Majorities of women (73%) and men (59%) are currently opposed to this type of entertainment.”
As was the case last year, most Canadians are in favour of eating animals (75%, +3) and hunting animals for meat (63%, +1).
The issue of keeping animals in zoos and aquariums is decidedly more contentious, with 35% of Canadians (-4) saying they are in favour of this practice and 56% (+3) voicing opposition to it.
Canadians aged 18-to-34 are more likely to be against keeping animals in zoos and aquariums (63%) than their counterparts aged 35-to-54 (54%) and aged 55 and over (53%).
Fewer than one-in-five Canadians are in favour of killing animals for their fur (18%, +1) or hunting animals for sport (trophy hunting) (14%, =).
Canadians who voted for the Conservative Party in the 2021 federal election are slightly more likely to have no problem with trophy hunting (20%) than those who cast ballots for the Liberal Party (15%) or the New Democratic Party (NDP) (13%).
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from August 17 to August 19, 2023, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error, which measures sample variability, is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490 [e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca