Scary bill bodes ill for Ontario animals - CAN Bill 37

Wow ... caught up as I have been with the BSL issue, compounded by some personal issues which have necessitated travel and care for a family member, I just recently was catching up on some reading. 

Anyone reading Tailspin knows I am NOT a fan of the OSPCA.  To clarify, however, I am not a fan of the OSPCA in its current form - and primarily because of its current management who I think are arrogant, misguided and have absolutely no real commitment to true animal husbandry. 

PC MPP Jack MacLaren (Carleton-Mississauga Mills) introduced Bill 37 – Act to Amend the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act which can be read online here.

My first concern was the suggestion to remove policing powers from the OSPCA and hand them over to the police themselves.  WTF?  Give COPS the power to decide the fate of animals in possible distress?  Animals in situations where individuals with the skill and training to correctly read the situation need to be there to ensure the animal in question receives the best chance of a positive resolution are to be assessed by people with absolutely NO training or skills in the field?  People with GUNS.

Anyone involved with animal welfare is cognizant there is currently a rash of tragic cases across North America where COPS with no training and quick trigger fingers have slaughtered innocent dogs. The reality is that take a tense situation, add into it untrained personnel who aare lready full of adrenalin and angst and then throw a dog into the mix and the dog often ends up dead.

Further, with all respect, cops have more than enough human related issues to deal with.  I cannot imagine that, for instance, reports of a farm animal in distress would warrant any kind of real response.  First, I do not doubt for one second, the farm animal would be low on the list of priorities - secondly, there is NO question in my mind that again, people untrained in the field, would have NO clue what would be considered acceptable in terms of environment for a dairy cow (for example). 

Lawyers for Animal Welfare give a good synopsis of the most outrageous suggestions buried in this bill - PLEASE go to this link and read.

Just a few salient points, however:

• the current prohibition against animal fighting would be repealed
• veterinarians would no longer by law be required to report abuse or distress
• the Bill would strip OSPCA officials of their current power to search premises on reasonable grounds

In short, it would strip the OSPCA Act of any ability to properly protect the animals of Ontario - domestic, farm and wild inclusive.

THIS is unacceptable and this Bill MUST be stopped.

Please take a moment to contact your MPP and voice YOUR concerns about this Bill.  We must ensure it does not make second reading and dies on the floor.

The animals of Ontario deserve more than this Bill purports to offer - in a society which deems itself civilized, this Act promises less protections than countries we currently view as animal hells offer.

STOP THE BILL.