CBC just published:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/sudbury-dog-animal-cruelty-sudbury-police-9.7095427
Social Media outrage works!!!!
But why must the public push the taxpayer funded agencies whose job it is to protect animals to actually protect the animals and seek appropriate justice set out in Canada’s Criminal Code?
Why won’t provincial Animal Welfare Services (AWS) take cruelty seriously? When a case meets the threshold of a criminal offence – why won’t they engage Police or the Ontario Crown?
Case in point:
Carly Young who killed her dog Dakota in Niagara Falls (July 2024) but the public had to create a massive social media storm to get AWS to even investigate. And when they did…they still did not engage Niagara Police Service to investigate.
And why is the Welland Crown Prosecutors not upgrading the Provincial Offence Act charges to criminal?
Welland Crown: Please email them asking why?
- Todd Morris: Todd.Morris@ontario.ca
- Holly Nickel: Holly.Nickel@ontario.ca
- Jacqueline Strecansky: Jacqueline.Strecansky@ontario.ca
- Hillary Lowry: Hillary.Lowry@ontario.ca
The Canadian Criminal Code is very clear it is CRIMINAL offence to harm animals.
Injuring or endangering animals (Criminal Code 445):
It is a criminal offence to wilfully cause without lawful excuse:
- an animals death
- maims
- wounds
- poisons
- injures
Cruelty to Animals – Causing unnecessary suffering (Criminal Code 445.1)
It is a criminal offence to wilfully cause or permit:
- Unnecessary pain, suffering or injury
- to in any manner encourage, aids, promotes, arranges, assists at, receives money for or takes part in:
- the fighting or baiting of animals or birds
- training, breeding animals or birds for the purposes of the above
A CALL TO ACTION:
Write to Premier Doug Ford (Premier@ontario.ca), Attorney General Doug Downey (Doug.Downey@ontario.ca), Solicitor Michael Kerzner (Minister.solgen@ontario.ca). Please ensure you cc your MPP (please use lookup tool below to identify who your MPP is).
Lookup Your MPP:
https://www.ola.org/en/members/current
Tell them that animal cruelty is a CRIMINAL OFFENCE and should be treated as such. Remind them that it is unacceptable that Provincial Offence charges does not give a convicted person a criminal record, any punishment is a mere slap on the wrist.
Premier Doug Ford claims there is zero tolerance in Ontario for animal cruelty – prove it Mr. Premier!