LEGISLATION - BC Passes Law to Better Protect Cats and Dogs

(Cheryl Wallach)

The BC government announced it has followed through on its commitment to enhance the protection of cats and dogs in British Columbia by passing an Order-in-Council (OIC).

The OIC provides a new regulation under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act that recognizes the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s Codes of Practice for both kennel and cattery operations as generally accepted practices of animal management for commercial breeders and boarders of cats and dogs in British Columbia.

The Codes of Practice include specific requirements for sanitation, spacing, housing, food and water, ventilation, care supervision and transportation.

“The B.C. government expects all British Columbians to treat their animals with care and respect including dog and pet breeders. The consultation is all about balancing the interests of the cat and dog breeding industry with the expectations of B.C. citizens regarding the health and welfare of companion animals and ensuring adequate animal welfare oversight of commercial breeding establishments,” Norm Letnick, Minister of Agriculture said in a release.

Their next steps include consulting with kennels and catteries about possible proactive monitoring and license or registration requirements to operate as a commercial breeder in the province.

“We commend the B.C. government for its responsiveness on the important issue of unregulated dog and cat breeding," said Craig Daniell, chief executive officer of BC SPCA.

"This first step of adopting the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Codes into law lays an important groundwork for establishing a licensing and inspection program that we are pleased to be providing input on now.”

Petition Filed to USDA for Improved Standards of Care for Commercial Breeding Dogs

Several large animal organizations filed a legal petition with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) asking for improved standards of care for dogs in commercial breeding facilities. These facilities are regulated by the USDA however many feel that the current regulations are inhumane.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), and The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA) are asking for the following changes:

• “Restrict the use of wire flooring in the dogs’ primary cage space. Wire flooring is routinely used in commercial breeding facilities, often in cages stacked on top of each other, and is highly detrimental to the dogs’ welfare;
• Require breeders to provide dogs with access to an exercise space. Current regulations do not mandate even daily or weekly exercise, and many dogs are kept in their cages day in and day out, for years on end;
• Require that dogs be physically examined by a veterinarian at least once per year, including a determination that breeding dogs are fit to endure pregnancy and nursing;
• Restrict the frequency of breeding.  Currently there are no limits on how frequently dogs may be bred, and commercial breeders routinely breed female dogs at every heat, with no rest between litters, contrary to the recommendations of most breed clubs;
• Require breeders to provide dogs with constant access to potable water;
• Increase the minimum cage space requirements so that dogs have adequate space to move around freely and to stand on their hind legs without touching the top of the cage; and
• Require breeders to make reasonable efforts to work with rescue groups to adopt out retired breeding dogs and “unsellable” puppies, rather than euthanizing or abandoning the dogs.” 1 

HSUS President and CEO, Wayne Pacelle said, “It’s common sense that dogs should have water, space, exercise, and other basic care, and responsible dog breeders and pet industry groups should welcome these improved standards to restore consumer confidence and deal with the outliers who cut corners and treat puppies like products. The current standards are insufficient and outdated, and need to be fortified to crack down on abusive puppy mills.”

ASPCA President and CEO, Matt Bershadker said, “Dogs are not products that can be simply warehoused without appropriate regard for their welfare. The public overwhelmingly agrees that the current USDA standards for dogs kept in commercial breeding facilities do not amount to humane treatment for dogs. The USDA needs to recognize this, and step up to ensure these vulnerable animals have proper care to maintain their health and well-being.”

HSVMA Veterinary Advisor, Dr. Susan Krebsbach said, “This petition requests much needed enhancements to existing regulations concerning the treatment of dogs used and bred for commercial sale, including the physical conditions of the breeding facility and the health and welfare of the individual dogs. These new regulations would greatly improve the living space, physical health, and psychological well-being of literally tens of thousands of dogs in the United States.”

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Dog Breeding Rules: A New Twist to Eliminate Hobby Breeders

Corowa Shire in New South Wales Australia is attempting to make hobby breeding a thing of the past. 

The Corowa Shire Council announced new proposed policies that will see the end of family-based hobby breeding of pure bred pedigree dogs and restrict such breeding to large-scale cashed-up commercial organizations. The Council's draft 2014 Companion Animals Management Plan would restrict each household in the Shire to owning no more than three dogs and no more than five animals if that household also owns cats. 

Dogs NSW, a local organization promoting the welfare of purebred dogs and responsible breeding, is requesting Council consider the economic loss of income to vets, pet food outlets and the Council itself from lower numbers of registrations. Other expressed concerns are increased workloads for Council Rangers to maintain enforcement of such policies and impact to Ranger wages. 

Read more

What's next for retail bans and commercial breeding?

Controversial legislation in municipalities across North America is sparking debate between the pet retail industry and animal rights activists.  

In Phoenix, AZ, last month, city councillors voted to pass a law prohibiting the sale of puppies and kittens in pet stores. Adoption models prevail under this legislation as only rescues would be available in shops.

READ MORE: Phoenix's attempt to curb puppy mills challenged

Earlier this year, InfoStream reported that four leading U.S. organizations were joining together to support a pending lawsuit challenging this prohibition. The American Pet Products Association (APPA), the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) and the World Pet Association (WPA) collectively donated $125,000 to support the lawsuit brought into the U.S. District Court in Phoenix on behalf of a local pet store, Puppies ‘N Love.

READ MORE: Leading industry organizations join forces to overturn retail ban

The new law is aimed at mass-breeding facilities (often called puppy mills) but APPA President Bob Vetere said Bans of this nature often punish stores and breeders who sell quality pets and breeds unavailable in shelters.

“These restrictions threaten our industry,” he said. “By working together to overturn these types of bans, we can use this opportunity to establish better standards for both breeders and pet stores.”

READ MORE: Petland CEO defends retail sale of pets

The industry banding together to fight this and funding the fight brings the sourcing discussion to a new level. A Certified Quality Mark developed and regulated by the Alliance for Urban Animals is one of several relevant and crucial conversations taking place at the Urban Animal Forums on Friday 24 October at the 2014 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies.   

Advocates on either side of this debate are invited to attend the Summit and participate in these discussions to help ensure the conversation moves forward in a direction acceptable to all involved parties.

Quebec sets new animal welfare legislation

In order to improve the welfare of companion animals in Quebec, a new licensing program will come into effect 7 November 2013.

The Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced the new legislation with the intended purpose of identifying and inspecting facilities that house and care for animals.

More than 250 inspectors, MAPAQ employees and 13-SPA-SPCA are at work in Quebec to ensure compliance with the legislation. The new legislation calls for a permit system for owners or keepers of more than 15 dogs or cats. The permit system is established under the Regulation respecting the safety and well-being of cats and dogs, which is the Law on Animal Health Protection.

For more information, VISIT THE MAPAQ WEBSITE. Please note the provided link routes to a page translated into English by Google Translate. The original French version can be found HERE. 

Kijiji urged to ban household pet listings

A Montreal animal advocate plans to file a 50,000 signature petition with Canada's largest online classified site, Kijiji, to prevent the sale of household pets. 

Barbara Lapointe told the National Post that by banning private pet sale listings, Kijiji would be cutting off one of the last avenue available for puppy mills to sell their animals. The same article reported a Kijiji spokesman said the company has no intention of banning pet sales but that it has already partnered with several organizations in Humane and Rescue to help prevent commercial breeders. 

Shawn McIntyre, Kijiji's community manager, told Global News the site has set up a system to catch suspicious posts and prevent mills from posting listings. 

"We're choosing to work with the industry and do our best to keep it clean and safe," he said. "We want to make sure that we're filtering out any bad users and not driving them underground." 

Related Reading: 

• Calgary Breeder Certification Announced
• Kijiji and OSPCA collaborate on educational video