WELFARE - Animal Welfare Heroes Recognized at National Conference

At the 2017 Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) National Animal Welfare Conference, they celebrated Canada’s 150 birthday and the 60th anniversary of CFHS.

The CFHS 60th Anniversary Awards Gala at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa honoured the animal heroes that dedicate their lives to creating a more humane Canada.

Dr. David Suzuki was the keynote speaker and presented with the Frederic McGrand Lifetime Leadership in Animal Welfare Award for his decades of work for animals and the environment.

Individuals and organizations from across Canada were presented with CFHS Animal Welfare Leadership and Innovation Awards for their work in public engagement, corporate social responsibility, farm animal welfare, humane legislation and cooperation in emergency response.

The Fort McMurray wildfires resulted in a number of organizations coming together to help animals in crisis and as a result the following organizations were presented with the award for cooperation in emergency response:

Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society

Alberta Spay/Neuter Task Force

Alberta SPCA

Alberta Veterinary Medical Association

Calgary Humane Society

Central Alberta Humane Society (formerly Red Deer & District SPCA)

Edmonton Humane Society

Fort McMurray SPCA

Meika's Birdhouse

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

Other winners of the 2017 CFHS Animal Welfare Leadership and Innovation Awards were:

Public Engagement:

Edmonton Humane Society

Corporate Social Responsibility:

PetSmart Canada

PetSmart Charities of Canada

Farm Animal Welfare:

Geoff Urton (BC SPCA)

Dr. Ian Duncan (University of Guelph)

Humane Legislation:

Honourable Wilfred P. Moore, Q.C.

WELFARE - David Suzuki to Headline Canadian Animal Welfare Conference

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) is celebrating its 60th anniversary as part of its National Animal Welfare Conference April 8th through 11th.

Dr. David Suzuki will be the special guest and keynote speaker at the Anniversary Awards Gala portion of the event on the Sunday.

Suzuki, a scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster, has been the host of CBC’s The Nature of Things since 1979 and has won dozens of academic and broadcasting awards.

The foundation he created focuses on five major environmental issues: climate change, health, oceans, wildlife and habitat, and freshwater.

An outspoken advocate for the environment, Suzuki has faced some controversy over the past few years.

Detractors criticize his wealthy lifestyle - pointing out he lives in a Vancouver home valued at $8 million and neglecting to add the house was purchased in 1975 for $145,000.

According to a Macleans article, Suzuki believes the muck-throwing is part of a wider trend where experts are now being painted as adversaries. “Scientists are being portrayed by much of the power structure in politics and business as having a vested interest - that they’re just out to get more grant money by exaggerating the threats.”

For most, however, he remains a knowledgeable, strong voice on environmental issues and CFHS social media is abuzz with anticipation for his keynote presentation.

The CFHS Awards Gala includes music, a three-course meal, and presentation of the Leadership and Innovation in Animal Welfare Awards, including Suzuki, who will be accepting a lifetime achievement award from CFHS for his decades of committed work for animals and the environment.

Suzuki’s keynote presentation will be followed by a Q&A and book signing.

Individuals who purchase tickets to the National Animal Welfare Conference automatically receive tickets to the gala, but tickets to the gala alone are also available.

Employees and volunteers from humane societies, SPCAs, animal rescue, advocacy groups, animal control, conservation, academic institutions and the government attend the conference each year.

Topics at this year’s event include:

• Putting humans at the centre of animal welfare program design
• What if we are not sheltering animals anymore?
• Modern farming
• The illegal pet trade in Canada and beyond
• Developing and maintaining successful stakeholder relationships
• The BS of BSL
• A multidisciplinary approach to investigating animal crimes
• Fort McMurray Fires: Learning from Canada's Largest Animal Disaster Response

The conference is followed by a training day where attendees can choose from three different training tracks: Sheltering for Change, Shelter Medicine, or Leadership and Management.

Registration for training day is separate from the conference.

Early bird pricing ends February 28, 2017 - registration and more information is available on the CFHS website.

WELFARE - Why Does Canadian Animal Cruelty Legislation Keep Failing?

Canada’s animal cruelty laws are far behind the global standard, and in fact Canada received a “D” on the global animal protection index.

A private member’s bill attempting to modernize Canadian animal cruelty legislation recently failed, the latest in a long string of proposed updates to the law that have failed to pass.

Why do proposed bills to update and modernize Canadian animal cruelty laws keep failing?

Canada is a country that prides itself on being progressive.

A recent Globe and Mail article said that, “The Canadian mandate that might have been called passive is now recognized as a policy of deliberate kindness and inclusion. Polite, maybe, but not without purpose.”

But this kindness seems not to extend to animals, a fact that stands in stark contrast to Canadian values in other areas.

According to the Canadian Federation of Human Societies, Canadian animal cruelty laws are positively Victorian, with current legislation that has not kept up with global standards since its introduction in 1892.

Cathy Thomas, past Executive Director of the Calgary Humane Society, worked with the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies for over a decade while they attempted to spearhead an initiative to update the legislation.

She remembers struggles finding a champion in the Justice Minister, and bills dying during parliamentary prorogation or being caught up in omnibus bills.

But it wasn’t just process and procedure that got in the way.

Thomas says, “[One] issue was finding wording that would recognize the use of animals by all the various user groups - livestock, research, hunting, competition, etc. If you think of things like trapping, laying hens, feed lots, transportation, veal crates, gestation pens for sows, research practices (think of all the rats and mice), zoos, chuckwagon racing and rodeo, movies, show jumping, and more, a huge range of interests. [As well as] regional differences across the country, and the urban/rural divide.”

Even this doesn’t capture the full extent of complexity and resistance, or explain why bills continue to fail despite the fact that, according to Animal Justice, 92% of Canadians polled support updating the animal cruelty legislation.

Particularly given the link between animal abuse and domestic violence, strengthening these laws would help Canadians in multiple ways.

A 2012 study, by Antonio Verbora, of the politics of animal cruelty legislation in Canada found “the Canadian legal system continues to struggle in terms of how animals should be conceptualized in the law (i.e., as property or as sentient beings)” and this difficulty in conceptualization became a polarizing issue between political parties.

Resistance to animal cruelty legislation seems to frequently hinge not just on the concerns noted by Thomas regarding diverse stakeholders, but also a more visceral anxiety about the humanization of animals if legislation moves more towards treating animals as sentient beings rather than property.

This theme was, according to Verbora’s study, apparent in the majority of the parliamentary debates regarding bills to modernize the legislation.

Perhaps federal legislators can follow in the footsteps of the province of Quebec where, in 2015, legislation declared animals sentient beings with biological needs. 

While this is a giant step forward for Quebec, the law does have some weaknesses as it
completely excludes wildlife in captivity, farm animals, exotic species and zoo animals.

Whether the resistance comes from industry groups, parliamentary processes, or existential anxieties, if the majority of Canadians support change is it time for Canada to catch up when it comes to animal cruelty legislation?

By Tiffany Sostar

Tiffany is a writer, editor, academic, and animal lover who came late to her appreciation of pets. At 18, a rescue pup named Tasha saved her from a depression and she hasn't looked back. She has worked as the canine behaviour program coordinator for the Calgary Humane Society, and was a dog trainer specializing in working with fearful and reactive dogs for many years. She doesn't have any pets right now, but makes up for it by giving her petsitting clients (and any dogs she comes across on her frequent coffee shop adventures) extra snuggles. 

 

WELFARE - Canadian Federation of Humane Societies Reports Welfare Agencies Underfunded

Canadians care about animal welfare.

Animal cruelty has been punishable under the Canadian Criminal Code since 1892, although Canada’s animal cruelty legislation currently lags behind other jurisdictions.

The animal welfare sector remains an important part of Canadian society, but according to a comprehensive report by the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS), the government consistently fails to provide adequate support through either funding or legislation.

“A well-resourced sector is essential to accomplish the task of protecting our most vulnerable animals from harm,” the report states.

Despite this need, and despite Canadians’ support for the animal protection sector, only 21% of 2014 revenue for the sector came from government funding and the majority of those funds came from municipalities.

The animal protection sector includes sheltering homeless animals, enforcing animal welfare legislation, and providing education and research on the links between animal abuse and the abuse of humans, including vulnerable groups such as women, children, and seniors.

Enforcement of animal protection and cruelty legislation varies depending on the jurisdiction, sometimes resting with police, RCMP or federal agencies, and often relying on Humane Societies and SPCAs.

Almost half (42%) of organizations in the animal welfare sector have a mandate to enforce animal protection legislation, with less than half of the costs for enforcing provincial and federal legislation covered by government funding.

This inadequate funding means that the majority of costs for enforcing animal welfare legislation fall on individual Canadian donors, who provide almost half of the funding in the sector.

Inadequate funding also means that the staff responsible for enforcing legislation are overworked and under-supported.

According to the report, “the majority of [Ontario SPCA] investigators work alone, covering huge territories and often working out of cell phone range with no information on the criminal history of those they are investigating.”

Just this week Zoocheck and Animal Alliance announced they have hired Mike Zimmerman, the former senior civil servant in charge of Ontario’s animal welfare legislation, to produce a report on the current state of animal welfare in the province.

“We believe our report will help the government fully understand that there are deficiencies in the system and take action to better protect animals in the province,” Liz White, Animal Alliance’s Director, said in a release.

Working as an animal protection officer is emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting and is especially challenging when legislation is lacking and funding is sparse.

The lack of funding is particularly shocking because Humane Societies and SPCAs are, according to the CFHS report, “the only Canadian entities responsible for law enforcement that are not fully funded.”

The vast majority (93%) of Humane Societies and SPCAs shelter animals, and in 2014 these organizations sheltered more than 278,000 animals at a cost of $118.4 million.

As well, 67% of Humane Societies and SPCAs offer humane education in their communities, which can provide critical early intervention to interrupt and prevent the well-documented link between human and animal abuse.

The animal welfare sector provides Canadians with a set of services that are critical for a healthy and humane society, and it appears government funding is currently not meeting the need.

By Tiffany Sostar

Tiffany is a writer, editor, academic, and animal lover who came late to her appreciation of pets. At 18, a rescue pup named Tasha saved her from a depression and she hasn't looked back. She has worked as the canine behaviour program coordinator for the Calgary Humane Society, and was a dog trainer specializing in working with fearful and reactive dogs for many years. She doesn't have any pets right now, but makes up for it by giving her petsitting clients (and any dogs she comes across on her frequent coffee shop adventures) extra snuggles.

LEGISLATION - Updated Animal Cruelty Bill Defeated...Again

The decades-long lobby to amend Canada’s animal cruelty laws hit another dead end this week.

A private member’s bill from a Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine - Bill C-246, The Modernizing Animal Protections Act - was defeated at second reading by a vote of 198 to 84.

Bill C-246 sought to ban the import of shark fins, as well as the sale of cat and dog fur in Canada. It also aimed to amend Criminal Code provisions related to animal abuse, negligence, fighting, and bestiality.

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS), along with animal welfare organizations across the country, have been calling on the government to make changes to the animal cruelty sections of the Criminal Code of Canada for over 25 years.

“While countries all over the world have updated or enacted effective animal cruelty legislation, Canada remains in the Victorian era with a federal animal cruelty law that was introduced in 1892,” the CFHS website states.

The long and winding road to change the laws began with Bill C-17 in 1999, which died shortly after it was tabled when an election was called.

The Liberal government reintroduced the bill several times and it repeatedly died because of prorogation of parliament.

In 2003, Bill C-10B got the hopes of animal lovers across the country up as it was supported by all parties in the House of Commons, but the Senate blocked its passage.

Multiple bills have been tabled, read, debated and Bill C-592 even passed second reading in 2014 but did not become law.

The defeat of C-246 was yet another setback for those lobbying for better protection for animals.

“I’m very disappointed that our Parliament didn’t stand up for animals today and refer the bill to committee,” said Barbara Cartwright, CEO of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies.

“Animals are going to continue to be open to sexual abuse, stuck in fighting rings and being neglected — all without enforcement being able to do anything about it because of the way the legislation is written. As the representative for SPCAs and humane societies across the country, it’s a sad day.”

Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice, pointed out that 92 percent of Canadians surveyed want stronger animal cruelty laws.

“The fact is we can’t continue to treat animals like tables and chairs. Our cruelty laws need to be strong enough to be able to punish people to the full extent of the law when animals are abused,” Labchuk told iPolitics, noting Canada has some of the worst animal cruelty legislation in the western world.

In fact, the World Animal Protection Organization’s Animal Protection Index, released in 2014, gave Canada a ‘D’.

They cited a number of issues including: the outdated legislation; rules around farm animal transportation that allow animals to go for two days without food, water and rest; and inconsistent protection for wild animals.

Leading the way on the index with ‘A’ ratings were the U.K., Switzerland, Austria and New Zealand. Canada ranked below developing countries such as Brazil, India and the Philippines.

Judging by the number of times animal welfare organizations and individuals across the country have supported new legislation, circulated petitions and called for change, the defeat of C-246 will not be the end.

It’s clear after 25 years of effort, the push for change will continue.

WELFARE - Montreal SPCA Fights City Breed Ban

This week Montreal city council passed a bylaw banning pit bull type dogs and digital media has erupted with outrage.

Breed specific legislation (BSL) is a controversial topic with passionate opinions on both sides.

The Montreal SPCA had threatened to tear up its contract for animal control services in Montreal if a breed ban went ahead.

They have taken their opposition to the new bylaw a step further - the SPCA filed for a judicial review and a stay of the bylaw in Quebec Superior Court on Wednesday.

"What we're asking as a first step is a judge from Quebec Superior Court suspend the application of the sections of the bylaw that deal with 'pit bull-type dogs' in order to eventually have these sections be eventually declared illegal, null and without effect,"  Alanna Devine, director of animal advocacy for the Montreal SPCA told the Canadian Press.

Devine said her organization supports measures to reduce serious dog bites, but doesn't think a breed ban will be effective.

The Montreal SPCA takes about 2,000 dogs into the city shelters it runs every year. Among them, she says, about a third, or 700, meet the bylaw's very broad standard as pit bulls or mixed with pit bulls or having characteristics of a pit bull type dog.

"Based on the way legislation is drafted, they can't be adopted," Devine told the Dodo.

All these animals, good-tempered or not, will have to be euthanized under the new legislation.

The Montreal bylaw was enacted in response to the fatal mauling of Christiane Vadnais several months ago.

After the vote was passed by a 37-23 margin, Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre told reporters, "My duty as mayor of Montreal is making sure I am working for all Montrealers. And I am there to make sure they feel safe and that they are safe."

The dog that attacked Vadnais was initially identified by police and media as a pit bull, but the dog’s breed is in question because he was registered as a boxer and police admit they are not experts in dog identification.

Critics of the bill claim it was enacted based on emotion and fear rather than science.

Ewa Demianowicz, a spokesperson for the Canadian branch of Humane Society International, told the Montreal Gazette in the last 30 years in Quebec, five other people have been killed by dogs, and all five cases involved dogs from the husky family.

The Quebec Order of Veterinarians has a lodged a formal complaint against the ban, saying its members have the right to choose whether they want to euthanize a dog.

The American SPCA (ASPCA) has even released a statement condemning Montreal’s bylaw.

“Studies have concluded that dog-breed identifications based on looks alone are completely unreliable—and the confusion only grows when dealing with mixed breeds, which is a fatal flaw in BSL,” the ASPCA wrote.

They went on to say that with the growing realization that more progressive, well-rounded “dangerous dog laws” that address individual animals and owners are more effective public policy than blanket breed bans, the trend in recent years has been for BSL to be repealed.

Other professional organizations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers all agree that BSL does not work.

The new Montreal bylaw will come into effect next week, apply to all 19 boroughs and define pit bulls as:

• Staffordshire bull terriers
• American pit bull terriers
• American Staffordshire terriers
• Any mix with these breeds
• Any dog that presents characteristics of one of those breeds.

Anyone who currently owns a dog of those breeds and lives in Montreal will have to acquire a special permit in order to keep their pet by Dec. 31, 2016.

Other components of the bylaw:

• The cost to register a pit bull or other dog deemed dangerous is $150.
• Ownership of pit bulls and other dangerous dogs would be restricted to those 18 and older without criminal history of violence.
• The animals would have to be microchipped and sterilized by Dec. 31, 2019.
• Pit bull type dogs would also have to kept on a halter, muzzle and four foot leash whenever they are off their owner's property.

Barn Fires Ignite Calls For Change

The preventable deaths of thousands of animals in barn blazes has fired up renewed calls to beef up rules and safety protocols to thwart future scenarios.

In January alone, about 53,000 animals including goats, horses, pigs and ducks, were killed in Canadian barn fires.

Adding to the tragedy is the reality many barn fires could be avoided if some simple steps were taken to prevent them and plans made on how to rescue animals should one break out, say animal advocates. “Incredibly, there are no specific regulations in place to protect animals from burning to death in preventable barn fires,” says Anna Pippus, Director of Farmed Animal Advocacy at Animal Justice Canada. “In the face of government and industry inaction, animal advocates have been calling for reform.”

In homes, schools and workplaces, history has proven everything from building design to protocols like fire drills and on-site resources including alarms and extinguishers, have prevented fires and saved lives when they do occur. But because barn blazes are often seen as having only economic impact on livestock owners, more needs to be done to protect animals from dying in avoidable barn fires, advocates say.

To that end, more than 33,000 signatures have been collected in a Canadians for the Ethical Treatment of Farmed Animals petition calling on industry to create a barn fire code of practice and requirements including fire alarms, sprinklers and protocols for freeing animals from burning barns.

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) has issued recommendations for farmers, including regular fire safety inspections and ensuring flammable materials are stored away from where animals live while the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs released a report advising farmers on the leading causes of barn fires and steps to reduce risk.

Given the speed at which tragedy can unfold, the CFHS suggests preparation is key in dodging disaster, “yet many of the simplest protection and prevention techniques recommended by farm and fire experts across the country and the world are not currently standard farm practice.” That means thousands of livestock animals are killed in barn fires annually and millions in lost revenue dollars to farmers who often declare bankruptcy while waiting on insurance payouts.

One unique challenge is the rescue of animals trapped in burning barns - making preparing for the possibility crucial, according to the CFHS. “Pigs and poultry are often housed too densely to make evacuation possible in any practical fashion, especially in Canadian winters where animals can die in just minutes of outdoor exposure,” the organization states on its website.

“Evacuating horses involves other considerations ... even when owners or handlers are on the scene in time to make a difference, there are numerous horror stories of horses breaking free from handlers and running back into burning barns. Have a halter and lead at each stall (do not keep horses haltered,) practising fire drills and knowing the location of the fire exits can better prepare horse owners to react, should fire strike.”

Advocates are calling on governments to update building and fire codes, requiring barns to be outfitted with industrial-grade smoke and heat detectors as well as sprinkler systems.

“There's no excuse for not taking common sense preventive measures to reduce the risk that hundreds or thousands of animals will experience the pain and terror of burning to death with no means of escape,” Pippus says. “We shouldn't be satisfied with waiting for the industry to voluntarily take action.”

By Nadia Moharib

Nadia Moharib is an animal lover who has adopted everything from birds to hamsters, salamanders, rabbits, fish and felines. She has written about all-things-pets for years and was a long-time editor of a pet magazine in a daily newspaper which featured a Q & A column, Ask Whit, penned by her pooch (ghost written, of course.) The serial dog owner lives in Calgary, Alberta and most days can be found at a dog park picking up after her rescue pooch, Scoots.

National Animal Welfare Conference

Focused on Building a Humane Canada in 2016, the 3rd Annual National Animal Welfare Conference takes place April 16th - 19th in Toronto. 

Presented by the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, the conference appeals to individuals who work with a humane society, SPCA, animal rescue, advocacy group, in animal control, conservation, with an academic institution or the government – or are just interested in animal welfare. 

A variety of speakers from across the country will share their expertise. Learning tracks include:

• Cats Count in Canada
• Sheltering for Change
• Farm Animal Welfare
• Advocacy and Building Humane Communities
• Animal Cruelty and Intervention
• Improving Canine Access to Care 

A travel grant is available that will cover up to 75% of transportation costs for a lucky applicant. Application deadline is February 26th.


Early bird registration is open until March 1st. 

For more details about speakers and their topics, accommodation, transportation and conference exhibitors, visit conference.cfhs.ca.