We need better animal cruelty laws in Canada

10 posts / 0 new

Sun, 2018-01-28 08:39

Arob

The recent story in Horse Canada magazine about the state of animal crulty laws in Canada is making me an actitivist today.

image of animal crulty from petition to close Whisper Ridge farms

I'm from farm stock and have seen this in my community and shed real tears and called the appropriate governing bodies (municipally) and been frustrated to learn how hard it is to affect change on behalf of the livestock.

So I know WHY the woman agreed to board her horse at the farm - just to collect evidence. That's the controversial part of the story linked above, but I gotta say that I too was so frustrated that I would have done the same thing.

I get it. The bar for charges under the Criminal Code is too high, and because of problematic wording like ‘willful neglect’ many SPCA officers will instead opt to pursue charges under provincial animal cruelty acts which carry no real penalties.

So what can we do about it?

February 2016, Ontario Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Beaches-East York) introduced Bill C-246, a private member’s bill, into parliament. Called The Modernizing Animal Protections Act, Bill C-246 sought to make changes to weak areas of the Criminal Code that make it difficult to prosecute animal cruelty and negligence.

It was voted down after lobbying by hunters and angler and cattlemen's associations. We need to start a public awareness campaign to get a public body on side that can counter these organizations. Your thoughts?

Sun, 2018-01-28 10:04

progressive17 progressive17's picture

These hunters, farmers, and anglers will even oppose bestiality laws as they feel it will interfere with their "rights". Liberal politicians are only too willing to bend to this lobby, given their electoral clout in rural ridings.

Sun, 2018-01-28 10:39

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

It goes beyond 'Liberal' politicians. It's the same with the Conservatives and rural NDP support. Nobody will touch anything no matter if it's the right thing or the wrong thing that has a chance of costing them support.

This is why political parties should ignore rural complaints. The world is changing whether one likes it or not and cruelty of any kind including factory farming should be abolished and those guilty of inhumane or savage cruelty should be prosecuted as criminals. I'd include 'sport' hunting in that list.

However,those hunters following the law,following the designated seasons for hunting and which animal,whom eat what they kill should continue the right of hunting game for food.

I say this because laws should not hurt indigenous culture and tradition. Which is why commercial seal hunts and whale hunting should also be banned, poaching a criminal offense.

It's 2017. We don't need fur and we don't eat blubber or need to use whale blubber for any commercial product.

Mon, 2018-01-29 16:55

Mr. Magoo

Quote:
It's 2017.

You might want to sit down for what I'm about to tell you... :)

Quote:
Your thoughts?

1. Decide which actions/inactions we would like to better be able to prevent, stop or prosecute

2. Revisit the law, and clarify the wording so that it only prevents, stops or prosecutes those actions. Assume that ALF, ELF, militant vegans and other animal-rights activists will misuse ANY ambiguous language, and clarify that language

I really can't see how the law cannot make it easier to bust someone keeping 400 malnourished puppies in a barn without also criminalizing someone catching a fish or shooting a rabbit.

Mon, 2018-01-29 17:59

(Reply to #4) #5

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

Mr. Magoo wrote:

Quote:
It's 2017.

You might want to sit down for what I'm about to tell you... :)

Quote:
Your thoughts?

1. Decide which actions/inactions we would like to better be able to prevent, stop or prosecute

2. Revisit the law, and clarify the wording so that it only prevents, stops or prosecutes those actions. Assume that ALF, ELF, militant vegans and other animal-rights activists will misuse ANY ambiguous language, and clarify that language

I really can't see how the law cannot make it easier to bust someone keeping 400 malnourished puppies in a barn without also criminalizing someone catching a fish or shooting a rabbit.

Nothing wrong with fishing or shooting a rabbit. It's another story when one hunt's to feed their ego and 'manliness' like shooting cougars and bears to pose for pictures.

And of course,puppy mill owners should be criminally prosecuted. I don't think you're going to get much opposition to that.

I also think there should be beefed up laws on the caleche business. When it's too cold or hot for a horse to be schlepping a caleche. As well as the conditions they are cared for.

Mon, 2018-01-29 18:19

WWWTT

And what if someone kills an animal that is the oldest known mammal? And probably one of the most intelligent creatures on the Earth. Way more intelligent than humans for sure. I'm against hunting whales, and I don't care who the person is!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/iqaluit-bowhead-whale-hunt-a-success...

Mon, 2018-01-29 18:20

Mr. Magoo

Quote:
It's another story when one hunt's to feed their ego and 'manliness' like shooting cougars and bears to pose for pictures.

What, specifically, does that have to do with cruelty to animals?? Your complaint with "trophy hunters" seems to have more to do with their personal shortcomings.

And I'm not defending someone shooting a tiger so they can have a pelt. But this is why it's not so simple as "why can't we just have meaningful animal cruelty laws?"

Tue, 2018-01-30 02:20

(Reply to #7) #8

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

Mr. Magoo wrote:

Quote:
It's another story when one hunt's to feed their ego and 'manliness' like shooting cougars and bears to pose for pictures.

What, specifically, does that have to do with cruelty to animals?? Your complaint with "trophy hunters" seems to have more to do with their personal shortcomings.

And I'm not defending someone shooting a tiger so they can have a pelt. But this is why it's not so simple as "why can't we just have meaningful animal cruelty laws?"

I think the hunting of grizzlies from 'sport hunting' should be banned. And I'll extend that to the killing of elephants,tigers and lions. You may think it's not legitimate cruelty but it is the genocide of endangered animals all for some picture posing,souvenirs and feeling like their dicks have grown an inch or two. Sport hunting should be banned. I know, I'm over reaching,these people's rights should be protected (eyes glazing over and rolling) I think killing animals just for the sake of killing them should not be a thing. White men almost made buffalos extinct way back in the day,now they're doing the same in Africa but worse. The meat is not used for food and the animals these manly men are killing are endangered. And they are all rich douche bags from Western countries, mostly Americans (surprise surprise) like Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump. Just a bunch of super rich sadists with micro penises trying to prove their manhood because they can't with their girlfriends and wives.

Why wouldn't sport hunting be in the category of 'animal cruelty'? It takes a special type of manhood insecurity to shoot a black rhino and pose for pictures with the dead beast. When all these animals become extinct,it will be too late to put in end to it.

Tue, 2018-01-30 18:04

Mr. Magoo

Again, I'm not saying "everyone go shoot a tiger". But the reasons why people shouldn't deserve their own argument.

Surely there's a better one than this one:

Quote:
And they are all rich douche bags from Western countries, mostly Americans (surprise surprise) like Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump. Just a bunch of super rich sadists with micro penises trying to prove their manhood because they can't with their girlfriends and wives.

I don't think it helps arguments against cruelty (and FOR better laws against cruelty) if anything someone doesn't like gets lumped in as "cruelty". I suspect that that kind of creative embellishment of the word is a big part of why hunters and anglers and farmers would like to see precise language in any new laws.

Fri, 2018-05-18 13:04

#10

Arob

Another horrendous animal abuse case in the news...

perpetrated by the man in the right, Lee Small, allegedly

below, Michael Chuong (left) the landlord, stated that he purchased the property last July and rented the barn to Lee, Jason, Michael, and Victoria Small operating as Speedsport Stables in September.

animal abuse case in the news - horses starved in Ontario, Canada

the article has full account, inc pictures

https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/7-dead-15-starved-horses-found-aurora-farm/

what consequences will follow?