I don’t know about you but my personal budget is getting squeezed tighter and tighter. The price of just everyday things – gas for the car, groceries, day to day essentials are out of control and the multitude of taxes we are required to pay certainly is not going down.
As the provincial (and federal) deficit grows and governments spend our money on projects most people do not want…we are expected to pay more and more taxes and to cover their uncollected debt.
In December, I filed Freedom of Information Act request’s with the Ministry of the Solicitor General and Ministry of Finance to see just how effective they are in collecting FINES ($) that have to do with Provincial Animal Welfare Services (AWS) cruelty investigations.
I asked for data from the inception of The PAWS Act (Jan 2020) through to the end of fiscal year 2025.
Yes, you read that right….90.4% of fines issued to people and/or charged with animal cruelty offences NEVER pay their fines!
That equates to Ontario Ministry of Finance (after it being handed over by the Ministry of the Solicitor General) holding a balance owed by people who neglect their animals of almost $10 million!
And who ends up paying that bill – yep us!
So when animals are removed, need to boarded, need transportation, need vet care that all goes on some abusers Statement of Account (SOA).
And when these bills are not paid by the people charged – it falls on us – the taxpayer of Ontario.
I chased the Ministry of Finance trying out understand why they have 90% of charges unpaid…their response – they are looking at improving their collection processes.
So while we all are paying for this….the government of Ontario refuses to license puppy mills and make the massive amounts of undeclared income by millers/brokers and backyard breeders actually taxable!
To give you a sense of what that lost revenue looks like:
You completely and utterly ticked off?
A CALL TO ACTION:
Please email.
- Minister of Finance, Peter Bethlenfalvyco: Minister.Fin@ontario.ca
- Solicitor General Michael Kerzner: Minister.solgen@ontario.ca
- Premier Doug Ford: Premier@ontario.ca
- Parliamentary Asst to Doug Ford, Lorne Coe: Lorne.Coe@pc.ola.org
- NDP Leader Marit Stiles: Stiles-qp@ndp.on.ca
- NDP Finance Critic Jessica Bell: Jbell-qp@ndp.on.ca
NOTE:
You may never receive a response…the letters are logged in regard to topic.
Public outcry works!!!! Because of people like you….the Ontario Auditor General has commenced with a 12 month long deep dive audit into Ontario Animal Welfare Services!!! The report will be released to the public this autumn!!!