Montreal, July 17 2017 – Today, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) released its 2017 provincial animal welfare legislation rankings. Prince Edward Island showed inspiring improvement, moving up from tenth position to the very top of the rankings. New Brunswick also climbed a few ranks this year. Due to both provinces’ ascension, Quebec moved down two spots, from sixth to eighth position.
The Montreal SPCA hopes that PEI’s progressive amendments to its animal protection legislation – including a prohibition on using wild and exotic animal in circuses, the adoption of mandatory codes of practice for animals used in agriculture and scientific research, and new procedures to better protect animals in hoarding situations – will inspire new advances in Quebec’s animal protection laws.
Top Tier
- Prince Edward Island
- Manitoba
- Nova Scotia
- New Brunswick
Middle Tier
- British Columbia
- Ontario
- Newfoundland & Labrador
- Quebec
- Yukon
Bottom Tier
- Alberta
- Saskatchewan
- Northwest Territories
- Nunavut
Providing protection to animals used in circuses
Prince Edward Island has prohibited the use of wild and exotic animals in circuses, while Quebec includes no similar restrictions. The Animal Welfare and Safety Act even excludes exotic animals or wildlife in captivity from the ambit of its protection.
Animal hoarding
Prince Edward Island now empowers courts to deem individuals unfit to possess animals, a procedure specifically targeting animal hoarders. Animal hoarding is a common reality and yet, Quebec legislation does not provide any such mechanisms. This loophole in Quebec’s legislation often forces inspectors to lay charges against people suffering from this mental health problem in order to save animals.
Adopting standards of care for all animals
Prince Edward Island now requires that the agriculture and animal research sectors comply with detailed standards of care for the housing and manipulation of animals set out recognized codes of practice. In Quebec, comprehensive standards of care only exist for dogs and cats. Due to an exemption in the Animal Welfare and Safety Act, animals used for agricultural and scientific research purposes in Quebec have virtually no legal protection.
“Prince Edward Island’s recent amendments should serve as an example to follow for many provinces, including our own,” says Élise Desaulniers, Interim Executive Director at the Montreal SPCA. “Ultimately, every province should strive to be recognized as a leader in animal welfare”.
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Media contact: Anita Kapuscinska, Communications Manager, Montreal SPCA, 514 656-2760, or anitak@spca.com.
About the Montreal SPCA
Founded in Montreal in 1869, we were the first animal welfare society in Canada and our mission is to:
- protect animals against negligence, abuse, and exploitation;
- represent their interests and ensure their well-being;
- raise public awareness and help develop compassion for all living beings.
For more information about the Montreal SPCA, please visit our website at www.spca.com.
