A group aiming to elect members of Parliament who support animal welfare has endorsed eight candidates it believes will take the issue seriously.
Humane Voters Canada sent a questionnaire to candidates, and responses led the group to its en-dorsements. Four are running in British Columbia and four in Ontario.
Now the group is urging voters to support its endorsed candidates and others it believes voice support for animal protection laws by voting for them in the Oct. 19 federal election.
In B.C., the group has endorsed Don Davies, the incumbent NDP MP from Vancouver-Kingsway, Fin Donelly, the incumbent NDP candidate in Westminster-Coquitlam, Hedy Fry, the incumbent Liberal candidate in Vancouver Centre and Green Party leader and incumbent Elizabeth May in Saanich-Gulf Islands.
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The four endorsed candidates from Ontario are Rick Dykstra, the incumbent Conservative candidate in St. Catharines, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, the Liberal candidate in Beaches-East York, Mark Holland, the Liberal candidate in Ajax and Brian Masse, the incumbent NDP candidate in Windsor West.
Humane Voters Canada is a project of the Animal Justice Canada Legislative Fund, which focuses on animal protection, including that of food animals and livestock.
Jerry Simonelli, a lawyer and co-director of the group, said its goal is to bring federal laws into alignment with Canadian values regarding animal welfare.
Among the concerns related to livestock are regulations regarding length of transport and adequate enforcement of humane animal treatment on the farm.
