Earlier we wrote about Mark Holland’s Bill C-229, a revision of his earlier substantial Bill C-373, to introduce a badly needed overhaul to the more-than-a-century-old animal welfare legislation in Canada. More on Mark Holland and Bill C-373 here. Every time animal cruelty has been up for a vote, Parliament has been on hiatus or prorogued.
This afternoon, in the memory of Tyson, a beautiful young black lab mix who had to be euthanized as a result of horrific abuse in Windsor recently, a group of animal lovers drove all the way to Queen’s Park with their pets and children to raise consciousness for Bill C-229, in the hopes that we can get it passed this time.
The organizer, Tammy Deslauriers, told us that animal cruelty laws have not been updated in well over 100 years and expressed hope that 2010 would be a time for change. Those at the rally sported red t-shirts and bandannas to show their support for enactment of Bill C-229 and for the animals. Tammy encouraged everyone at the rally to tell their friends, and to ask their MPs to support the bill. Further rallies are planned for Toronto and Ottawa.
Bill Bryden’s interim Bill C-203 is “19th century legislation adjusted for inflation”. It basically attempts to take the pressure off enacting legislation that actually has some meaning. Let’s keep the pressure on the politicians to pass legislation that will not simply appease the hunting and animal industry lobbies.
Review Bill C-229 on Mark Holland’s website.
With Mark Holland championing Bill C-229, Frank Klees on the case for a revision to Bill C-50 (OSPCA Act) and Cheri diNovo pursuing fair treatment for dogs regardless of breed, we have a full plate and a slate of MPPs who deserve our support to make 2010 the year for positive change for the animals to start happening.
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I was there. Great and brave people. We must win.
Vladimir, I was there too, in the first picture at top. Come say Hi next time. We will win!
“Human kindness is overflowing, and I think it’s going to RAIN today.” Who said that?
My daughter and I were there also…Yes we will win…Our animals have a voice…US.
If we treated our pets the way factory farmed animals are treated you would be breaking the law. In other words one law for pets. Another for farm animals.
You might be interested in my book ON THE MENU:ANIMAL WELFARE (website ame name!) – which tells, for the most part, a horror story, NOT imagined, but something that is happening every moment of every day. It draws attention to the animals on factory farms that never see natural light; or the seasons change; or feel the earth beneath their feet. Incarcerated in vast barns their lives are automated, unnatural, controlled as they are treated as nothing more than any other farm product and become grotesque parodies of their natural selves.
This book describes the whole production process – from before conception to the way the animals we use for food are presented on the supermarket shelves: the chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese; the laying hens, quail and the pheasants reared for sport; the pigs and lambs; the dairy cattle, beef cattle and veal calves; and also the rabbits as well as the fish and shellfish.
Published by Pen Press and available from Amazon at £8.99; from public libraries in the UK and Ireland; and also Ingrams (in the USA).
WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT TO STOP ANIMAL ABUSE