Ontario best in protecting animals, Quebec second worse

[Melinda]

http://www.standard-freeholder.com/A...aspx?e=3139950


Ontario best in nation at protecting animals
By ERIKA GLASBERG EGLASBERG @ STANDARD-FREEHOLDER.COM
Posted 8 hours ago
CORNWALL -- The laws against animal abusers have been tested and the results leave some provinces with their tails between their legs.

The fourth annual Canadian Animal Protection Law Rankings study has recently been released by the Animal Legal Defense Fund which names Ontario as the best province in Canada when it comes to dealing with animal abusers.

"This just goes to show that Bill 50 (Provincial Animal Welfare Act) is working and that those changes were needed," said Alison Cross, provincial manager of communications for the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The survey collects information about animal protection laws in every province and territory in Canada and breaks them down into 13 categories which include offences, penalities and mental health counselling, among others.

"One of the main things we look for is how broad the protections are," said Stephan Otto, director of legislative affairs and attourney with the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

"It's not just simply saying that the animal has food, water andshelter. It's quality of food, the water shouldn't be frozen (or dirty), veterinary care and space for the animal," Otto explained.

"(It's important because) it's an objective for law inforcement so they can go in and say what there is or there isn't."

Ontario wasn't always ranked the top province in the country when it comes to dealing with animal abusers.

Only four years ago, Ontario was ranked last in the country, but after one year, many laws were changed and Ontario skipped to the top of the list.

"There was a push on a number of different issues and a progressive legislation was pushed forward and enacted," he said.

"(At the top of the list) is where Ontario has been ever since 2009."


Ontario's neighbour to the east didn't do so well in the rankings as Quebec ranked second worst in Canada for dealing with animal abusers.

In Ontario, if an abuser is caught with the first offence, they will be charged with a (maximum) of two years in prison and/or a $60,000 fine where as in Quebec in the first offence, the penalty is a $600 fine and no chance for incarceration.

[mikischo]

Wonderful that Ontario passed that Bill in 2008 bringing it from the worst to the best.

If anyone wonders how their province or territory ranks here is the full report from Animal Legal Defense Fund for 2011:

http://www.aldf.org/downloads/ALDF20...ingsReport.pdf

[Melinda]

ohhh thanks for that link!!

[sugarcatmom]

How can a province that has institutionalized genocide of pit bulls and pit bull look-a-likes be considered "the best" at animal protection?

[Melinda]

cause the others are worse?

[chico2]

SCM,I agree,I am sure Ontario kills hundreds if not thousands
of Pit-Bulls ever year,but I suppose they don't count

I have yet to read about any animal-abuser getting jail-time or paying a $60.000 fine,that simply does not happen,no matter what is said.

[14+kitties]

Man, if we're the best I would hate to live anywhere else. Our animal rights laws suck. I've never heard of anyone getting more than a slap on the wrist for abusing an animal. IMO the whole country needs a major overhaul!!

[Melinda]

if you google it you'll find some like this, I know, only 30 days...like thats enough??? geeesh. we have to strike harder.



Hamilton woman gets jail time for animal cruelty
CHML
6/26/2010

A 45-year-old Hamilton woman who left a tied-up dog to starve to death is headed to jail for 30 days.

A month after Theresa Fletcher was evicted from her Barton Street East apartment, the property manager found the decomposed remains of the dog.

Ontario Court Justice Richard Jennis told Fletcher a jail sentence was warranted because of the callousness of her actions and to deter others from treating defenceless animals with such cruelty.

The mother of five will serve her sentence on weekends.

Fletcher is also banned from having pets for the next 20 years.

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by Melinda

if you google it you'll find some like this, I know, only 30 days...like thats enough??? geeesh. we have to strike harder.



Hamilton woman gets jail time for animal cruelty
CHML
6/26/2010

A 45-year-old Hamilton woman who left a tied-up dog to starve to death is headed to jail for 30 days.

A month after Theresa Fletcher was evicted from her Barton Street East apartment, the property manager found the decomposed remains of the dog.

Ontario Court Justice Richard Jennis told Fletcher a jail sentence was warranted because of the callousness of her actions and to deter others from treating defenceless animals with such cruelty.

The mother of five will serve her sentence on weekends.

Fletcher is also banned from having pets for the next 20 years.

30 days for causing pain and suffering to a living thing? Nice!! I know that case well. It's in my back yard. And serving it on the weekends? So what? She gets to keep her job (if she even works), her kids aren't being taken from her so she isn't suffering with missing them, she gets to have her fun during the week and go serve her time on the weekends. I had a brother in law who did that years ago. He said it was the best time ever. All they did was sit around all weekend yakking and playing cards. Yeah, some punishment.
And not having a pet. What's to stop one of her kids getting one and having it in her home? It isn't technically Fletchers. It's her kids.
Maybe when someone decides not to feed an animal and watch it starve to death the penalty should be more fitting. IMO she should have gotten at least two years minimum. Served full time. JMO

[Melinda]

and the maximum fine...but serving weekends is so common in ontario, I so disagree with it, my niece was molested along with two others, he got 3 months...to be served on weekends so he wouldn't lose his job.....then had it dismissed after a month because of his bad back, the mattress's weren't good for his condition...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[BenMax]

Quebec is horrible..I cannot dispute that.
But Ontario has failed miserably about banning pitbulls or the likes. Quebec on the other hand has been fairly decent about helping Ontario's banned dogs.