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LAW Exposes Air Canada Monkey Business
August 9, 2011
A legal opinion from Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) has exposed Air Canada claims that it is unable to stop shipping animals for research as false.
Air Canada has repeatedly claimed that it has no choice but to ship animals destined for cruel experimentation. Most recently, an August 5 Montreal Gazette article, available HERE, quoted an Air Canada representative as saying that the airline is "required by law to carry this type of cargo even though we tried to refuse it".
But LAW's legal opinion, available HERE, shows that Air Canada is within its rights to stop such shipments simply by changing the wording of its cargo tariff.
“It's time for Air Canada to stop trying to fool the public and do the right thing by ending the cruel shipment of animals destined for experimentation" said Camille Labchuck, Campaign Manager at Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW).
Using the opinion Humane Society International/Canada and the Animal Alliance of Canada have issued a call for Air Canada to reject shipments of animals for research, toxicity testing, or other harmful laboratory experimentation––a policy which has already been adopted by United Airlines, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and other major airlines.
Air Canada was criticized in January when animal protection groups exposed a shipment of dozens of monkeys aboard an Air Canada flight from China destined for laboratories in Quebec.
In the early 1990s, Air Canada refused to ship monkeys for research, but a 1998 ruling by the Canadian Transportation Authority forced the airline to abandon that decision based on the wording of its cargo tariff.
A copy of LAW's legal opinion was submitted to Air Canada CEO Calin Rovinescu on July 8 requesting a response within 30 days. To date, no response has been received.
Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) is an incorporated Registered Charity dedicated to advancing public knowledge of animal practices and preventing the abuse and killing of animals through the enforcement of existing laws.
Tax deductible donations can be made on the website using credit card or PayPal at: http://www.lawyersforanimalwelfare.com/donate or by contacting the organization to make alternative arrangements.
For more information contact LAW at: info AT lawyersforanimalwelfare.com
Hog industry doesn't take pigs' care seriously: judge
July 28, 2011
Mike McIntyre
Winnipeg Free Press
A Manitoba judge has taken aim at the provincial hog industry, suggesting there may be a widespread culture of putting profits over the humane treatment of pigs.
The issue was placed in the public domain Wednesday at the sentencing hearing for a truck driver convicted of violating the Health of Animals Act. Provincial court Judge Fred Sandhu said the facts of the case "turned the stomach" and may be symptomatic of a greater problem in Manitoba.
"The act only speaks to death. The suffering part -- I'm not sure that's something the industry is all that concerned about," Sandhu said. "These are such highly avoidable situations. Is the attitude they're going to be dead in three hours anyways so what does it matter?"
Mike Maurice, 24, pleaded guilty to failing to take adequate steps to ensure the safe transport of 232 pigs bound for slaughter. He was given a $5,000 fine under a joint recommendation from Crown and defence lawyers.
Maurice picked up the pigs in Niverville on a hot, humid day in August 2008 and then took 41/2 hours to drive to the Maple Leaf Foods rendering plant in Brandon, including a stop along the way, court was told. Maurice then spent another 90 minutes with his truck parked in a loading bay before it was his turn to unload.
He opened the back of his trailer to a horrific sight -- 22 pigs had died of heat stroke, while another six collapsed and had to be euthanized.
At no point did Maurice ensure the pigs had proper air flow or water to cool down from the scorching temperatures.
Read more at: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/hog-industry-doesnt-take-pigs-care-seriously-judge-126308608.html
LAW to Table at 10,000 Tastes Event
Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) will attend 10,000 Tastes, 10 Billion Reasons. LAW will have a table with legal information and other literature.
Members of the public are invited to visit our booth. The event will take place from 12-6 pm on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto, and is hosted by Empathy Unlimited and the Toronto Vegetarian Association.
Farm Sanctuary President and co-founder Gene Baur will be on hand as part of his Farm Sanctuary 25th anniversary tour. Gene will hand out thousands of free samples of delicious vegan food, including 5,000 veggie dogs donated by Tofurky, 5,000 cookies from Toronto bakery Sweets from the Earth, Daiya vegan cheese, Natur-a soy milk, Yoso yogurt and spreadables, Sol Cuisine meat alternatives, Sunrise tofu, and sports nutrition products by Vega.
The event will also feature a live demo by YouTube sensation Vegan Meal Time, two Ryerson film students whose parodies of gluttonous TV show Epic Meal Time have had more than a million YouTube hits.
For more information see: http://empathy-unlimited.org/10billionreasons
RSVP on our Meetup.com page at: http://www.meetup.com/lawmeetup/
Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) is an incorporated Registered Charity dedicated to advancing public knowledge of animal practices and preventing the abuse and killing of animals through the enforcement of existing laws.
Tax deductible donations can be made on the website using credit card or PayPal at: http://www.lawyersforanimalwelfare.com/donate or by contacting the organization to make alternative arrangements.
For more information contact LAW at: info AT lawyersforanimalwelfare.com
LAW to Hold 'Know Your Rights' Workshop
July 27, 2011
Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) will hold a know-your-rights workshop for animal activists in downtown Toronto, designed to inform members of the community on our legal rights while engaged in activism related activities like protests, leafletting and demonstrations – especially when dealing with the police. Understanding our basic rights and the common charges laid against activists by the police can be helpful when dealing with law enforcement in these contexts.
The workshop will take place in mid-August (date to be determined). For more information or to register, please email: camille@lawyersforanimalwelfare.com.
Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) is an incorporated Registered Charity dedicated to advancing public knowledge of animal practices and preventing the abuse and killing of animals through the enforcement of existing laws.
Tax deductible donations can be made on the website using credit card or PayPal at: http://www.lawyersforanimalwelfare.com/donate or by contacting the organization to make alternative arrangements.
For more information contact LAW at: info AT lawyersforanimalwelfare.com
LAW Deputation Supports Toronto Animal Services
July 25, 2011
Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) has submitted a written deputation to the City of Toronto Licensing and Standards Committee in support of the important work carried out by Toronto Animal Services (TAS).
To read the deputation click HERE.
The Committee has been tasked with studying a number of potential budget cuts to TAS identified by the City’s consulting firm KPMG.
Specifically, the Committee has been asked to consider:
• Outsourcing/privatizing some or all of TAS;
• Decreasing the level of service for emergency animal rescue calls, such that response time could be greater than two hours;
• Requiring owners to deliver animals to the shelter if they wish to surrender the animals, instead of picking them up;
• Cancelling the cat and dog licensing program.
LAW is concerned that these budget cuts, if implemented, will harm animals.
Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) is an incorporated Registered Charity dedicated to advancing public knowledge of animal practices and preventing the abuse and killing of animals through the enforcement of existing laws.
Tax deductible donations can be made on the website using credit card or PayPal at: http://www.lawyersforanimalwelfare.com/donate or by contacting the organization to make alternative arrangements.
For more information contact LAW at: info AT lawyersforanimalwelfare.com
LAW Provides Input to Ag. Ministers on Animal Laws
July 8, 2011
Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) has provided materials to be considered at today's July 8, 2011 New Brunswick meeting of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture.
The meeting will include a discussion of consistency in Canadian animal protection laws, regulations and enforcement.
LAW sent a letter to Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Carol Mitchell to draw her attention to some substantial inadequacies with Federal and Provincial animal welfare law.
The letter can be read HERE.
The letter discusses how the anti-cruelty measures in the Federal Criminal Code have not been meaningfully updated since 1892 and could be made much more robust through amendments.
Although Provinces and Territories have enacted their own anti-cruelty legislation to supplement the Criminal Code provisions, a further problem arises in that the Provincial anti-cruelty regimes create a patchwork approach to protecting animals. Some jurisdictions have relatively strong legislation, while others are far weaker. Animals end up being treated very differently depending on where they live.
LAW sees a coordinated approach as a better option, ensuring that the strongest measures are in place, across the board.
Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) is an incorporated Registered Charity dedicated to advancing public knowledge of animal practices and preventing the abuse and killing of animals through the enforcement of existing laws.
Tax deductible donations can be made on the website using credit card or PayPal at: http://www.lawyersforanimalwelfare.com/donate or by contacting the organization to make alternative arrangements.
For more information contact LAW at: info AT lawyersforanimalwelfare.com
LAW Urges Inspection of Shrine Circus
June 23, 2011
TORONTO – Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) is urging the Ontario Society for the Protection of Animals (OSPCA) to inspect travelling circuses in Ontario to ensure compliance with provincial animal welfare law. The Shrine Circus is scheduled to make stops in municipalities across Ontario this summer. The circus includes performances by animals such as elephants, horses and dogs.
LAW has written to the London Humane Society to ask it to inspect the Shrine Circus. The London Humane Society enforces provincial animal welfare legislation for the OSPCA. A copy of the letter can be viewed HERE.
LAW has also written to the OSPCA to ask it to inspect the Shrine Circus at tour stops in other areas of the Province. A copy of the letter can be viewed HERE.
A copy of the referenced Shrine Circus Fact Sheet can be viewed HERE.
*UPDATE: On June 28, 2011 LAW sent similar letters to each of the Belleville Humane Society, Brockville SPCA, Cornwall SPCA, Hamilton SPCA, Kingston Humane Society, Oshawa SPCA, Ottawa Humane Society, Petawawa SPCA, Peterborough Humane Society, Sarnia SPCA, St. Catherines Humane Society and Windsor Humane Society.
“Undercover footage has repeatedly shown that animals used in circuses may be kept in inadequate conditions and forced to perform through beatings with painful weapons,” said Nick Wright, Director and General Counsel for LAW. “The Shrine Circus has a long history of violating animal welfare laws in the United States, including many incidents that would likely be illegal in Ontario. LAW urges the OSPCA to closely monitor and inspect the Shrine Circus this summer to ensure animals are treated in accordance with Ontario’s animal welfare laws.”
The Ontario Society for the Protection of Animals Act sets out minimum standards of care that apply to animals, including wild animals kept in captivity – like circus elephants. These include measures like providing animals with adequate food, water, and medical attention; transporting animals in a manner that ensures their general welfare; providing animals with enough space to exercise; and ensuring that enclosures for wild animals are appropriately designed, safe and provide shelter.
The Act also prohibits the owner or custodian of an animal from causing or permitting an animal to be in distress.
Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) is an incorporated Registered Charity dedicated to advancing public knowledge of animal practices and preventing the abuse and killing of animals through the enforcement of existing laws.
Tax deductible donations can be made on the website using credit card or PayPal at: http://www.lawyersforanimalwelfare.com/donate or by contacting the organization to make alternative arrangements.
For more information contact LAW at: info AT lawyersforanimalwelfare.com
LAW to Host 'Food Matters' Screening & Workshop
On Tuesday June 21, 2011 at 7PM Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW), in conjunction with the U of T Student Animal Legal Defence Fund and Push Food Forward will be holding a free screening of the film Food Matters at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, 78 Queen's Park Crescent, Room FLB.
For a map to the venue see HERE.
Food matters (www.foodmatters.tv) uncovers the trillion dollar worldwide 'sickness industry' while providing scientifically verifiable solutions for overcoming illness naturally with proper nutrition.
It notes that with nutritionally-depleted foods, chemical additives and our tendency to rely upon pharmaceutical drugs to treat what's wrong with our malnourished bodies, it's no wonder that modern society is getting sicker.
Featuring leading experts in nutrition and natural healing who claim that the right kind of foods can be used to treat chronic illnesses as fatal as terminally diagnosed cancer.
A discussion will follow the screening. This event is free and open to the public.
RSVP at: http://www.meetup.com/lawmeetup/
Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) is an incorporated Registered Charity dedicated to advancing public knowledge of animal practices and preventing the abuse and killing of animals through the enforcement of existing laws.
Tax deductible donations can be made on the website using credit card or PayPal at: http://www.lawyersforanimalwelfare.com/donate or by contacting the organization to make alternative arrangements.
For more information contact LAW at: info AT lawyersforanimalwelfare.com
LAW Applauds Police Action in Baby Raccoon Beatings
June 1, 2011
TORONTO – Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) is applauding the swift action taken by law enforcement officials after a man allegedly tried to kill baby raccoons with a shovel in his backyard. According to news reports, a neighbour contacted the police after witnessing Dong Nguyen beating the raccoons, while the mother raccoon reportedly tried to protect the kits by carrying them away one by one.
Under Section 445 of the Criminal Code of Canada, it is illegal to cause unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal. It is also contrary to Ontario’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act to kill raccoons without a license, an offence that attracts a penalty of up to $25,000 and/or up to one year in prison
Mr. Nguyen is scheduled to appear in court in July. The maximum penalty for an animal cruelty conviction is five years in prison, but the minimum penalty is a mere fine.
Although Canada’s anti-cruelty laws are less robust than those in other countries, Crown attorneys do have the legal tools necessary to prosecute cases like Mr. Nguyen’s. LAW urges Crown prosecutors to continue to pursue the case vigorously, and to seek a substantial penalty in the case of a conviction.
To deter future instance of animal cruelty, it is critical that the full force of the law be brought to bear on those who abuse. Offenders who are violent toward animals often go on to commit offences of violence against humans, and catching these violent individuals early on is essential to both protecting animals and ensuring public safety.
The CBC news article on the story can be read HERE.
Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) is an incorporated Registered Charity dedicated to advancing public knowledge of animal practices and preventing the abuse and killing of animals through the enforcement of existing laws.
Tax deductible donations can be made on the website using credit card or PayPal at: http://www.lawyersforanimalwelfare.com/donate or by contacting the organization to make alternative arrangements.
For more information contact LAW at: info AT lawyersforanimalwelfare.com
LAW to March in Veggie Pride Parade
May 31, 2011
Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) will be marching with a banner at this year's Veggie Pride Parade taking place in Toronto, Ontario on June 4, 2011 from 12PM to 3:30PM.
The parade lineup starts at the Toronto Reference Library (just north of Yonge/Bloor subway) at 11:30AM and we march down to Trinity Square for guest speakers, entertainment and delicious vegan food!
To march with LAW, simply arrive early and join our contingent holding the blue Lawyers for Animal Welfare (LAW) banner. RSVP on our meetup.com page HERE.
The parade will last 4 hours from start to finish. Starting on Asquith Avenue (Yonge/Bloor – next to the Toronto Reference Library), we will travel south along Yonge Street to Queen Street, west along Queen to James Street, north on James to Trinity Square which is adjacent to the Eaton Centre (15 city blocks).
The Toronto parade is one of many similar events being held in cities across Europe and the United States.
For more information, please visit the Veggie Pride Parade website at: http://veggieprideparade.ca
You can also watch the promo video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kZRmroHmQ0&feature=player_embedded
We hope you can join us for this family-friendly event.