Animal cruelty laws

The dog in the picture above was nicknamed 'Lucky' because he narrowly escaped death. His neck and back were broken, he was also malnourished, dehydrated and covered in bed sores. The perpetrator received a $50 fine.
The dog in the picture above was nicknamed 'Lucky' because he narrowly escaped death. His neck and back were broken, he was also malnourished, dehydrated and covered in bed sores. The perpetrator received a $50 fine.
© Ontario SPCA

It's been one year since Parliament amended Canada's animal cruelty laws to increase the jail time and other penalties for animal abuse. Recent headlines show that little has changed.

Offenders and their lawyers continue to exploit flaws and loopholes in the law to get off with a mere slap on the wrist or no penalty at all. The burden of proof that Crown Attorneys, police and SPCA investigators must meet in order to successfully prosecute these crimes is too high since it's virtually impossible to prove that the cruelty was 'wilful' in its intent and 'unnecessary'.

We need modern legislation now

We need the government of Canada to pass modern and enforceable legislation that protects all animals from cruelty and abuse. Animals matter to Canadians - it's time to reflect this in our laws.

Please take a moment to send a letter to the Minister of Justice, Rob Nicholson, as he has the authority to strengthen the animal cruelty provisions in the Criminal Code.

Connect with WSPA on:

FacebookTwitterYouTubeFlickr

Support our work

Help WSPA promote humane stray management globally

A dog at WSPA member society KACPAW's clinic, Sri Lanka