Animal Cruelty Legislation

Humane Canada is thrilled to report that, after two years of intensive efforts, public outreach campaigns and direct work with the PMO, the Office of the House Leader and the Office of the Minister of Justice, our proposed amendments to the bestiality and animal fighting sections of the Criminal Code have been introduced by Canada’s Minister of Justice. T

This development comes just three months after Humane Canada launched national campaigns in which supporters like you from across the nation sent thousands of emails to the Prime Minister, the House Leader, the Minister of Justice and MPs to demand action on bestiality and animal fighting.

Using your voice to help Canada's animals makes a true difference! Thank you for your commitment to change.

To each and every person who spread the word about our national campaigns, engaged friends, family, colleagues and followers on these issues and helped to educate your networks about the need for legislative change: we can't thank you enough. Your ongoing support of our work is what makes change happen.

This legislation responds to the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in R v DLW where the Court held that the bestiality offences in section 160 of the Criminal Code are limited to sexual acts with animals that involve penetration. The proposed amendments seek to remedy this by adding a definition to the bestiality provisions which will broaden the offence to include any contact with an animal for a sexual purpose.

Bill C-84 will also strengthen existing animal cruelty offences relating to animal fighting. It will broaden the offence of causing unnecessary suffering to animals to prohibit a broader range of activities associated with animal fighting. Additionally, the existing offence that prohibits keeping a cockpit will be expanded to prohibit the keeping of an arena for the purpose of fighting any animals.

The amendments have the official support of the animal welfare industry, the veterinary industry and the agriculture industry.  These are simple fixes that no one is against and will have a massive impact for animals.

This new legislation is good for animals, and it’s good for people. There are known connections between bestiality and child sexual abuse as well as animal fighting and gang activity.

Since these two animal protection issues were before the government two years ago, there have been five major Canadian cases involving bestiality and child sexual abuse.

These changes will make our communities safer for women, children and animals.

Links:

• iPolitics article: Federal bill would broaden definition of bes
• Humane Canada's legislative agenda