Dalton & Dave are doggin' it

NEWS RELEASE

DAVID ORAZIETII, MPP

************************* Orazietti announces better protection for animals in Sault Ste. Marie

McGuinty government takes action to improve animal welfare

SAULT STE. MARIE - The McGuinty government has introduced legislation which, if passed, would better protect animals throughout the province, including those in zoos.

These proposed changes are the first comprehensive amendments to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act since it was introduced in 1919 David Orazietti, MPP announced today.

“This new legislation is an important step forward in the protection of animals and better reflects the concerns raised by Sault Ste. Marie residents,” said Orazietti. “If this bill is passed by the Ontario legislature our government will be making Ontario a leader in animal welfare.”

Key changes in the proposed Provincial Animal Welfare Act include:

- Protecting animals with tough new rules and appropriate penalties, including jail, fines and a potential lifetime ownership ban

- Requiring veterinarians to report suspected abuse and neglect, and protecting them from liability for doing so

- Allowing the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) to inspect places where animals are kept for entertainment, exhibition, boarding, sale or hire.

“We will not tolerate the abuse of animals, including those kept in roadside zoos. If passed, this legislation would offer the strongest animal protection in Canada,” said Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Rick Bartolucci.

The proposed legislation builds on the work of Willowdale MPP David Zimmer to regulate roadside zoos.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals awarded the Special Award for Leadership in Animal Welfare to Willowdale MPP David Zimmer in 2007 for his work towards regulating roadside zoos.

In 2007 the Ontario government more than quadrupled the Ontario SPCA’s funding to $500,000 annually and provided one-time funding of $100,000 for an interim zoo inspection plan.

The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals investigates roughly 15,000 allegations of animal cruelty each year.

There are estimated to be over 50 zoos in Ontario, which is more than all other provinces combined.

Learn more

Learn more about animal welfare in Ontario by clicking here.

Find out more about the Ontario SPCA at this website.

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