Heiniu died a horrific death. He lost his life at the hands of two Animal Control Officers employed by the town of Aurora.
WHERE ARE PROVINCIAL ANIMAL WELFARE SERVICES (AWS) IN ALL OF THIS? WHY HAVE AWS NOT PRESSED CHARGES?
Eyewitness accounts, video and digital images along with the necropsy results clearly show a prolonged (nearly 2 hours long) campaign of excessive use of force (using catch poles) with Heiniu exhibiting extreme fatal distress that resulted in a friendly family dog losing his life.
BUT WERE THEIR ACTIONS A CRIME, AN OFFENCE OR AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT?
We believe the evidence shows that what was done to Heiniu was not an accident. It was the result of wilful prolonged excessive force inflicted upon an animal to the point of death on the scene. It was a crime.
We believe York Regional Police should be investigating this as a criminal offence under Statute 445.1
But because Provincial Animal Welfare Services (AWS) was also called, the police deferred to them.
ANIMAL CRUELTY INVESTIGATIONS AND CHARGING:
The PAWS Act or Criminal Code.
- The PAWS Act
The Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General is responsible for the province’s animal welfare system. It oversees the administration of the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) program and is responsible for enforcing the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 – known as the PAWS Act.
Under the PAWS Act, an offence is any act or omission that violates a provision of the Act that has been designated as an offence. The Act divides offences into MINOR offences and MAJOR offences, with more severe penalties for major offences.
PAWS Act charges are filed under the Provincial Offences Act and are adjudicated in the Ontario Court of Justice.
Two examples of MAJOR Provincial Offence Act offences:
- Causing an animal to be in distress.
- Permitting an animal to be in distress.
- The Criminal Code of Canada – Sections 444 to 447
Key Criminal Offenses:
- Causing Injury or Death: Harming, killing, or poisoning cattle, dogs, birds, or other animals kept for a lawful purpose without a legal excuse.
- Unnecessary Pain and Suffering: Willfully causing or permitting unnecessary pain, suffering, or injury to any animal or bird.
- Neglect and Abandonment: Failing to provide proper food, water, shelter, and care, or abandoning an animal in distress.
- Animal Fighting: Taking part in, training animals for, or promoting animal fighting or baiting events.
Statute 445.1 states:
Causing unnecessary suffering:
- 445.1(1) Every one commits an offence who
- (a) wilfully causes or, being the owner, wilfully permits to be caused unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal or a bird;
Unfortunately, Animal Welfare Services (AWS) does NOT have the authority to file criminal charges – only the police have that authority.
BUT, AWS could bring their investigation to the police asking them to see if the level of the offence reaches the threshold of criminality – but in our experience, AWS never does this.
When Humane Initiative pressed the Chief of AWS about this… she just kept stating it is not their policy.
Having said all that – at the very least…
Would anyone with any common sense not think that Animal Welfare Services would press charges under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) ACT — against both of the Aurora Animal Control Officers responsible for Heiniu’s death?
REMEMBER the PAWS ACT states:
- Causing an animal to be in distress.
- Permitting an animal to be in distress.
Heiniu was killed on May 4th, 2026 – today is July 30th, 2026.
To date ‘crickets’, NOTHING has been presented by the Town of Aurora, nothing by the business, Canine Foundations — hired to ‘investigate’ — and Animal Welfare Services who have statements from 5 witnesses AND the necropsy report, are still sitting on their hands, doing nothing that we can see.
JOIN US IN DEMANDING ACTION BE TAKEN BY
PREMIER DOUG FORD,
PROVINCIAL ANIMAL WELFARE SERVICES, YORK REGIONAL POLICE, THE MAYORS AND TOWN COUNCILS OF AURORA, EAST GWILLIMBURY & GEORGINA
From the Blog
