Paradis Tables
Animal-Rights Bill
“Proposed Quebec legislation would
impose heavy fines & jail time for serial animal abusers &go so far as
to criminalize flushing live goldfish down the toilet.
‘If you
have a goldfish you have to take care of it,’ said Quebec Agriculture Minister
Pierre Paradis…
The bill
states that ‘animals are not things. They are sentient beings & have
biological needs.’…
‘The
biggest change (in the bill) is that up to now, an animal in Quebec is
considered as a movable, like a piece of equipment…It goes from that to being a
sentient being’.
Paradis
believes his bill will transform Quebec from
the jurisdiction with some of the least strict animal-welfare rules in North America to one with some of the toughest.
He said he
was inspired by Manitoba, Ontario,
& British Columbia,
which he noted have the strongest animal-welfare laws in the country.
The bill
has separate rules for pet owners, farmers with livestock, owners of pet shops,
or people who sell animal-based products such as furs.
Pet
owners ‘must ensure that the animal’s welfare & safety are not
compromised,’ meaning domesticated animals have to receive ‘care that is
consistent with (their) biological needs’…
Farmers
must guarantee that their animals are ‘treated with dignity as much as
possible’ from the moment they are born to the day they are slaughtered…
The
legislation gives inspectors the power to demand to see an animal if they have
‘reasonable cause’ to suspect the pet is being mistreated. They can also obtain
a warrant from a judge to enter a home & seize animals.
First-time
offenders face fines as low as $250 & as high as 250,000…Judges will have
the discretion to sentence serial violators of the proposed law for up to 18
months.”
Giuseppe Valiante
THE CANADIAN PRESS
In The Gazette, Montreal
June 6/2015
Cute Critter Pic
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