When I look back to my early childhood (as much as my memory will allow it!), two powerful images come to mind. My love for animals and my love of teaching. My dominant happy times were with our family dogs and also “playing teacher” with my friends (I can recollect the wonderful patience of our Irish Setter, Shannon and toy poodle, Cocoa sitting quietly as students in my pretend classroom). I also vividly remember my parents instilling in me that “dogs rule” and that there needs to be compassion, kindness, and equality for all species.
Read more “Advancing Animal Welfare with a Multigenerational Approach”It’s an ‘Ag Gag’: Farmers in Canada shift away from transparency, silence whistleblowers, and increase the vulnerability of farm animals
This fall, Alberta and Ontario introduced American style “ag gag” legislation that targets people who would report poor farmed animal conditions, abuse and cruelty. Typically, this type of legislation contains provisions that prohibit people from deceiving their employers and taking or possessing photographs, video or audio recordings without the farm owner’s consent, and levies significant fines to deter this kind of action.
Read more “It’s an ‘Ag Gag’: Farmers in Canada shift away from transparency, silence whistleblowers, and increase the vulnerability of farm animals”Humane Canada’s Top 10 Wins for Animals in 2019
In June before the federal election call, we said that 2019 was shaping up to be a very good year for animals, and we were right. 2019 was a year where we can truly celebrate many improvements in animal welfare. Let’s take a look back…
Read more “Humane Canada’s Top 10 Wins for Animals in 2019”A movement for a humane nation
I recently attended my first Humane Canada National Animal Welfare Conference in Calgary. To say it was an unforgettable, life-changing experience would be a major understatement.
Read more “A movement for a humane nation”2017 in Review: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly in Canadian Animal Welfare
Now that 2017 has come to a close, Humane Canada (also known as the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies) is once again asking: are things getting better or worse for animals in Canada?
Read more “2017 in Review: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly in Canadian Animal Welfare”What do human and animal abuse have in common?
Have you heard that Humane Canada is presenting Canada’s first national conference on the violence link in December?
If you aren’t familiar with the violence link, it’s the proven link between violence against animals and violence against people. This can manifest in many ways, including a pet being harmed or killed after a woman leaves an abusive relationship or a serial killer practicing his or her abuse on animals before moving on to human beings. Over the last decade, this pattern has come to be known as the violence link.
Read more “What do human and animal abuse have in common?”TNR and rethinking our concept of “home”
It’s International Homeless Animals Day, a day that, for the past 25 years, has been highlighting the crisis of companion animal overpopulation and its solution: spay/neuter. In most of Canada today, this crisis is centred around our most popular companion animal – the cat.
Read more “TNR and rethinking our concept of “home””Celebrating two years of Quanto’s Law
Two years ago today, Canada’s Criminal Code was amended to make the harming or killing of police, military or other service animals a special offence. Called the Justice for Animals in Service Act, this piece of legislation is better known as Quanto’s Law.
Read more “Celebrating two years of Quanto’s Law”Animal Transportation Regulations
In Canada each year, approximately 700 million farm animals are transported from farm to auction or slaughter. Approximately 1.6 million of these animals, mostly chickens, are found dead on arrival. Many more arrive sick or injured following their long, gruelling journeys and need to be euthanized.
Read more “Animal Transportation Regulations”Science hijacked in transport regs review
Most Canadians would be shocked to know what’s legal when it comes to the transport of animals in this country. That’s because Canada’s outdated transportation regulations set a dangerously low bar, causing the deaths of more than 1.6 million farm animals each year by freezing, dehydration, heat exhaustion, trampling and disease.
Read more “Science hijacked in transport regs review”