Ford Government Forced To Change Animal Welfare Laws As OSPCA Discontinues Services

Published May 17, 2019 at 2:53 pm

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The Ontario Government is taking a new step towards improving the animal welfare system.

The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) has provided animal welfare protection services for the last 100 years. On March 4, they stated that they intend to discontinue those services. An agreement between Ontario and the OSPCA concluded that the OSPCA will enforce animal welfare laws until June 28, 2019. The OSPCA has refused to extend the agreement to the end of 2019, which is when the new system will take into effect.

The province has now launched a public survey that allows people to share their thoughts on how to improve animal welfare. The feedback from the survey will help the government make the right changes to the system.

In the 2019 Ontario Budget, the Ford government promised to review the existing legislation to ensure and provide animals with the right protection.

“Protecting animals is important to the people of Ontario, and it’s important to me. Our government has always maintained that the system can be made more robust, transparent, and accountable. While work is already underway to introduce a better system, I’m counting on the people of Ontario to share their ideas, feedback, and concern as part of our public survey,” said Sylvia Jones, solicitor general.

The government will also be posting a new regulation intended to help ensure no animals falls through the cracks during the transition period from the old enforcement model to the new one.

This new regulation will be posted today (May 17). It will provide options to ensure effective enforcement until the new model is implemented. According to the government’s press release, the regulation enables affiliates of the OSPCA, such as local humane societies, to continue enforcement should they wish to do so.

“A number of OSPCA affiliates stepped forward to offer their continued assistance as we work towards a new, permanent enforcement model. Our government wants to empower these affiliates to continue protecting animals as we develop a new model,” said Jones.

The police will also continue to enforce animal welfare laws to protect the animals in Ontario.

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