A Paw In The Right Direction

POOCHAPALOOZA takes over as I have all but retired! Feel free to join and post to your heart's content!

The best news I have heard for a long time!

GROUNDBREAKING NEWS: The Alberta Court of Appeal officially recognizes that animals are sentient beings AND that animal cruelty is a crime of violence!🎉

This ground-breaking decision is proof that times are changing. Animals are highly vulnerable to mistreatment and exploitation and are incapable of communicating their suffering, and sentences for animal cruelty must reflect these realities.

The court held that “Animals [are] sentient beings that experience pain and suffering [and] must be treated as living victims [….] “animal cruelty is a crime of violence”

Yesterday, the Alberta court of appeal recognized:

- that it is the animal’s experience of the violence, pain and suffering during and after the event that is relevant.
- that not every contravention of the animal cruelty provisions will be a crime of physical violence; crimes of neglect can be equally serious
- the Violence Link - that the abuse or killing of an animal can be motivated by a desire to assert control over or exact revenge on another person

Humane Canada™ provides essential education to prosecutors across Canada to raise awareness, encourage collaboration and highlight legislative and policy amendments that bring about lasting and systemic change. We have been following and sharing insights about the R v Chen case closely.

Please join Humane Canada as we push to update our inadequate animal cruelty laws and recognize animal sentience across Canada. Donate here: https://humanecanada.ca/how-to-help/donate/

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