The Toronto Zoo Institutional Animal Care Committee is seeking a Community Representative to join their team. The Community Representative will represent general community interests, opinions, and concerns regarding animal-based research, teaching, or testing, and to provide balance and credibility to a process that would otherwise be strictly institutional. Community representation should be ensured for all animal care committee activities and is required at animal care committee meetings to meet quorum. Community members must be involved in the interim approval process of Protocols and in annual renewals. The terms of service will be an appointment for no less than two years and not more than four years, renewable only up to a maximum of eight consecutive years of service.

Apply Online by April 28, 2026.

The Community Representative will:

• Participate actively in decision-making on the care and use of animals.
• Working with the members of an institution and its Animal Care Committee (ACRC) to ensure good animal care and use at the institutional level.
• Provide an external, community perspective to scientific institutions and to the CCAC.
• Help identify and address the public's opinions and concerns regarding the use of animals for research, teaching or testing conducted in Canadian institutions and by their members at other sites.

Community representatives can be any local resident over 18 years old and can have any background as long as they have never worked with animals for scientific purposes, are not affiliated in any way with the institution that they will be working with, and do not have any conflict of interest that would compromise their role. We especially encourage applicants from underrepresented communities.

The Community Representative should:

• Be actively interested in the care and use of animals.
• Be willing and able to work constructively with the members of animal care and use programs.
• Be ready to undertake a certain amount of work and learning.
• Having some understanding of scientific terminology is not required but is an
• Asset.

We especially encourage applicants from underrepresented communities.

Some examples of applicants who cannot be considered for the Community Representative are as follows (this list is not exhaustive):

• Current or former employees of the Toronto Zoo.
• Someone with a real or perceived conflict of interest.
• Someone who has exceeded eight continuous years of service on an animal care committee.
• Someone (currently or in the past) involved in, or whose position is (was) directly related to, animal-based research, teaching, or testing (e.g., graduate student working with animals).
• Former undergraduate (who has pursued further studies or work experience directly or indirectly involving animals in research, teaching, or testing).

While we appreciate the interest of all applicants, only those selected to move forward in the process will be contacted.