Animal Cruelty, Canadian Style

Update April 2, 2008
From The Toronto Star, (click here to read)
Parliament fails anti-cruelty test

Update March 29, 2008
From The Vancouver Sun, (click here to read)
Critics label animal cruelty bill bogus and a sham

Update March 27, 2008
Rally information for this weekend: Click here

Update March 25, 2008
From The Globe and Mail, (March 25, 2008)
Scarce Improvement for Animals (click here to read)

"The greatness of a nation, and its moral progress, can be measured by the way its animals are treated."

M. Gandhi.

 
On the eve of the Canadian seal slaughter, the largest annual kill of marine mammals anywhere in the world, it’s pretty clear that Canada doesn’t put too much stock in Gandhi’s words.
 
And not just as it pertains to the seal hunt, but around quite a few other battles going on in that country, most prominently one involving the imminent passing of an atrociously bad animal cruelty bill by Parliament, supported by both the Conservative and the Liberal parties.
 
How do you get a country that doesn’t care to update its 1892 animal welfare laws? How do you get Members of Parliament and Senators to listen to the voices of Canadians and animal welfare organizations who repeatedly speak up?
 
From the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): Canada’s national animal cruelty legislation hasn’t been significantly updated since 1892 and is extremely difficult to enforce.  Currently, less than ¼ of 1% of animal abuse complaints lead to successful convictions.”
 
IFAW has also released a report comparing Canada and 13 other countries on animal welfare legislation and guess what, Canada places at the bottom. Please, Canada, the bottom? Let’s at least go for the bronze!
 
Bottom line: Canada is about to vote into law in a few weeks a bill that does nothing to change the current 1892 legislation other than offer stiffer fines for cruelty. The way things stand now, it’s pretty much a done deal. The media is noticeably silent on this topic.
 
More background from IFAW: “On 14 February 2008, the House of Commons Committee on Justice and Human Rights reviewed Bill S-203. Both the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Bloc
Québécois (BQ) proposed amendments that would improve Bill S-203, making it more effective in gaining convictions against offenders who neglect animals or engage in activities such as training animals to fight each other.
 
These amendments were voted against by the Conservative and the Liberal Committee members. A final vote was taken on S-203 and the NDP was the only party to vote against the Bill on behalf of the vast majority of Canadians..” It returned to the House of Commons with no changes and is expected to pass its final vote there shortly after the House reconvenes March 31.
 
In a few weeks time, this Bill is going to be law unless something drastic can change these circumstances.
 
Action Steps:
If you haven’t written your MP, click here for letter writing campaign on WSPA Canada site.
 
For all readers, Canadian and International, please write the Justice Minister and the Liberal Justice Critic and tell them to get serious about animal protection-and kill Bill S-203:
Rob Nicholson, Conservative Justice Minister: Nicholson.R@parl.gc.ca / 613-995-1547
Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal Justice Critic: Leblanc.D@parl.gc.ca / 613-992-1020
 
Come out and protest on March 30th
Rallies are being held across Canada on March 30th to oppose this regressive, immoral act by Parliament.
Go to Canadians for Effective Animal Cruelty Legislation (click here) for more info.
Visit the Facebook page
: Stop Animal Cruelty in Canada with Bill C-373 (click here)      
For more info on Bill S203

And we call these leaders? Canada's legislators doing little on animals' behalf
IFAW
WSPA
Canadian Federation of Humane Societies
Canada places at the bottom on animal cruelty legislation


Mark Holland's private member’s bill would do a much better job (click link below)

http://www.markholland.ca/news/2008/080212%20Press%20Conference%20Animal%20Cruelty.htm
How a bill became an 8-year political football
First hour of third reading debate on S203 in the House of Commons is posted here

 

What did you think of this article?




Trackbacks
  • No trackbacks exist for this entry.
Comments

  • 3/22/2008 7:39 AM J Bolton wrote:
    it is reprehensible that the laws are over a century old.
    Reply to this
  • 3/22/2008 8:23 AM Anonymous wrote:
    nauseating that they will pass this law. it is only through activism that change happens and not enough Canadians are acting.. time to stop thinking everything is "nice"

    Reply to this
Leave a comment

Submitted comments will be subject to moderation before being displayed.

 Enter the above security code (required)

 Name

 Email (will not be published)

 Website

Your comment is 0 characters limited to 3000 characters.