According to the Humane Society International, animal welfare laws in Canada haven’t changed much since 1892. Yup, that’s right EIGHTEEN 92, not 1992. Penalties may have increased in recent years, but the scope and application of the current laws remain pathetically weak. So even the WORST animal abuse offender is very hard to punish.
Outdated and far behind
Our laws in Canada on animal abuse are hopelessly out of date.
The few updates that have been made over the years are rife with loopholes. For example, the law views animals as ‘chattel’ or mere possessions. In fact, under the Criminal Code, animal cruelty crimes are considered property offences instead of violence against a living, sentient creature.
Raising animals to fight is NOT illegal
The Canadian Criminal Code also does not provide protection for animals being trained to fight each other. It is an offence to engage in animal fighting, but not to train animals to fight nor to accept money from animal fighting.
The requirement to catch perpetrators in the act makes it very difficult to prosecute cases of dog fighting.
What can YOU do about it?
Take heart, when we band together we can make real change happen. Here are just a few of the steps we can take every day.