2012 Canadian Jurisdiction Animal Protection Laws Rankings
The laws are evaluated and scored so that the strength of animal protection laws can be compared across jurisdictions. Manitoba, British Columbia, Ontario, and Nova Scotia ranked in the top tier while Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories, Quebec, and Nunavut ranked in the lowest tier.
Rankings:
- Manitoba
- British Columbia
- Ontario
- Nova Scotia
- Newfoundland & Labrador
- New Brunswick
- Yukon
- Alberta
- Saskatchewan
- Prince Edward Island
- Northwest Territories
- Quebec
- Nunavut
Excerpts from report summary:
“ALDF’s fifth annual report, the only one of its kind in Canada, ranked each jurisdiction on the relative strength and comprehensiveness of its current animal protection law. The ranking was based on a detailed comparative analysis of the animal protection laws of each province and territory, focusing on fifty-eight study questions spanning ten categories.
Each jurisdiction was attributed a numerical ranking based upon its cumulative score and was also grouped into a top, middle or bottom tier.”
“Ontario and Manitoba continue to occupy the top tier, but are now joined by British Columbia, which made considerable improvements to its animal protection legislation since last year’s report. Most notably, the province enacted stiffer penalties, with animal abusers now facing up to two years imprisonment and a $75,000 fine. It also extended the scope of prohibitions to include abuse perpetrated by anyone – not just an animal’s owner. Additionally, British Columbia now specifically targets animal fighting, and requires veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse or neglect. Nova Scotia, the fourth province in the top tier, also made changes to its animal protection legislation, but these were minor and did not affect the province’s relative ranking.”
“Despite some improvements to its animal protection law since last year’s report, including a broadening of species coverage and the promulgation of new standards of care for dogs and cats, Quebec held its position as the province with the weakest animal protection legislation. It was joined in the bottom tier by Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, which remains the worst jurisdiction in Canada when it comes to animal protection.”
http://aldf.org/article.php?id=2096