CANADA GETS A D
In animal welfare index
Archaic anti-cruelty legislation and weak transportation laws are among the reasons for Canada’s mediocre ranking when it comes to animal protection, according to a new global assessment.
Overall, Canada gets a D rating on the animal protection index, which rates 50 countries on a scale of A to G on the strength of their policy and legislative commitments to animal welfare and protection.
Criminal Code anti-cruelty law remains largely unchanged since it was drafted more than a century ago, said Melissa Matlow, a spokesman for World Animal Protection. The legislation, she said, still brands animals as property.
“That’s a big problem,” Matlow said. “It doesn’t reflect attitudes toward animals that are changing.”
According to the assessment, another key area of weakness relates to rules for farm-animal transport.
“We’re the only developed country that I know of that allows some farm animals to be transported for up to two days without food, water and rest,” Matlow said.
In addition, protection for wild animals across Canada is inconsistent and mainly focused on the preservation of species rather than the well-being of any particular animal, the assessment finds.
Spearheaded by London-based World Animal Protection, the index is based on 15 indicators, such as whether legislation recognizes that animals are sentient beings capable of suffering. Other indicators assess the treatment of animals in captivity and those used in vivisection, and protection afforded wild animals.
It’s the first time the index has been published.
“Governments must take action to protect animals and to recognize that the welfare of animals is inextricably linked to people’s health,” CEO Mike Baker said on the group’s website.
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz noted in an email that animal welfare is a shared jurisdiction among the federal government, provinces and territories, and industry.
“Our government expects all businesses to adhere to Canada’s strict animal welfare laws,” Ritz said.