An American animal welfare agency has ranked Manitoba as the top province in Canada when it comes to protecting animals.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), based in San Francisco, released its annual animal protection laws rankings in the second week of July. After evaluating provincial and territorial legislation, it concluded that Manitoba, British Columbia and Ontario offer the most security for animals.
Of the more populous provinces, the ALDF singled out Quebec as the jurisdiction with the weakest laws protecting animals.
Manitoba ranked at the top of the table for several reasons, including the significant powers of animal protection officers in the province. The report notes that Manitoba animal protection officers have broad powers to enter premises and can order pet and livestock owners to take action to improve animal care.
Quebec sat near the bottom of the rankings because vets are not required by law to report suspected animal cruelty. As well, its laws don’t restrict future ownership of animals if a citizen is convicted of animal abuse or neglect.
Although certain provinces have improved animal protection legislation, the ALDF report noted that Canada’s federal legislation for animal protection is outdated.
“The provisions of the Criminal Code dealing with cruelty towards animals has changed very little since they were first enacted in 1892,” the report authors’ said.
The 120-year-old laws are weak because prosecutors must prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the accused was willfully cruel to an animal. Therefore, the legislation makes it difficult to obtain a conviction, particularly in cases of animal neglect.
