Ontario’s plans to broaden its animal welfare legislation will exempt livestock producers from new laws that will make it an offence to put animals in “distress.”
The provincial government on Wednesday announced it would introduce an overhaul of its Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act that allows animal welfare officers new powers to inspect premises outside homes where animals are kept for “exhibit, entertainment, boarding or sale,” and to enter premises without a warrant on “reasonable grounds” that an animal is in distress.
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The overhaul also calls for new provincial offences such as causing or allowing distress to animals, training for or allowing animal fighting, or failing to comply with standards of care. It also raises the fines for such offences to a maximum $60,000.
However, a provincial spokesperson said Friday that the “distress” offence won’t apply in cases where generally accepted practices of agricultural animal care, management or husbandry are being followed.
The intent of the province’s bill isn’t to interfere with generally accepted farming practices, the province said.
More specific or detailed exemptions, when or if needed to allow such practices, would be added later by provincial regulation.
