Any one caught abusing or neglecting an animal could face fines of up
to $60,000, jail time and a lifetime ban on pet ownership under a new
provincial animal welfare bill that comes into effect today.
Community Safety Minister Rick Bartolucci's bill will also give
inspectors with the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals the power to enter public places such as zoos, pet stores and
circuses without a warrant to determine if animals are receiving
proper care.
The act creates a new offence -- causing or permitting distress to an
animal --that has higher penalties and a lower burden of proof than
the Criminal Code, which had been the only tool available for the
prosecution of serious animal abuse cases.
Hugh Coghill, Ontario Chief Inspector for the OSPCA, said their
inspectors investigate about 15,000-16,000 complaints a year, but the
vast majority are resolved with verbal recommendations.
About 2,500 cases might receive a written order, and the courts are
reserved for the most serious offenders.
"The Ontario SPCA always takes an educational role first and foremost,
so education before enforcement is a key mantra that we have in the
back of our mind all the time when we're doing our work," Coghill
said. "If whatever you were doing before wasn't against the law, it's
not against the law now. But people who abuse and neglect animals need
to be aware that the laws will now be stronger to protect animals."
The OSPCA can now seize and hold an animal until a court decides if
the owner is guilty of an offence under the act, where previously the
animal had to be returned if the offender paid the bill for any vet
care that was required.
The existing maximum $60,000 fine for cruelty to animals, which
applied only to cats and dogs for sale, has now been extended to all
offences under the new act.
The act also mandates vets to report suspected animal abuse or neglect.
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