{"id":21414,"date":"2014-08-10T17:16:24","date_gmt":"2014-08-10T09:16:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=21414"},"modified":"2014-08-10T16:36:50","modified_gmt":"2014-08-10T08:36:50","slug":"quebec-to-amend-civil-code-to-better-protect-animals-from-abuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2014\/08\/10\/quebec-to-amend-civil-code-to-better-protect-animals-from-abuse\/","title":{"rendered":"Quebec to amend Civil Code to better protect animals from abuse"},"content":{"rendered":"

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QUEBEC\u2014Quebec\u2019s new agriculture minister is promising to clean up the province\u2019s bad reputation as one of the best places to be an animal abuser.<\/p>\n

Pierre Paradis says new legislation is in the works that will redefine the status of an animal in the province\u2019s Civil Code and improve its protection.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to go as quickly as possible,\u201d Paradis told The Canadian Press. \u201cIt\u2019s among my legislative priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once the Civil Code is amended, cats, dogs and other animals will no longer be considered as \u201cpersonal property\u201d but as living, \u201csentient\u201d creatures. That is a formula that has already been adopted by several European countries.<\/p>\n

He said he has reached an agreement in principle with Justice Minister Stephanie Vallee that would give critters more status before the courts than inanimate property such as a chair or table.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were inspired by what was done in France, where they redefined the concept of the animal as a being that is capable of feeling pain,\u201d Paradis said. \u201cWe\u2019re looking into the judicial consequences of that but we don\u2019t want it (the animal) to remain personal property.\u201d<\/p>\n

The change in status means the courts will consider pain and suffering when imposing penalties or fines on abusers.<\/p>\n

While recognizing the sentient nature of an animal will not give it the same type of rights as for humans, it will increase the obligations on owners and breeders toward their charges.<\/p>\n

Paradis noted that there is a demand for better treatment of animals and it has already been heard in Europe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing how things are evolving in Europe on agricultural farms\u2014there are larger cages for pigs and more space for chickens. If you\u2019re not part of this movement, you\u2019re going to be excluded.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, the commercial impetus for laws protecting animals is as key as the humanitarian one.<\/p>\n

Paradis noted competitors could squeeze Quebec out of the market if it doesn\u2019t treat its animals better.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re right in the middle of a free-trade deal with Europe and we will be affected if we do not adjust,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Agriculture Department is responsible for carrying out inspections and Paradis said the tight financial situation prevents adding resources. The department\u2019s 250 inspectors are charged with ensuring the quality of food and agricultural infrastructure as well as the well-being of animals.<\/p>\n

Paradis has not been idle in the meantime when it comes to animal rights.<\/p>\n

In June, he announced the establishment of a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week tipline where people could report animal abuse.<\/p>\n

The initiative has drawn praise from Quebec\u2019s Order of Veterinarians.<\/p>\n

Quebec has a long way to go in its fight to protect its four-footed residents.<\/p>\n

The province has long been criticized for being home to miserable puppy mills. Mistreated calves were discovered recently on a farm in Pont-Rouge.<\/p>\n

The San Francisco-based Animal Legal Defense Fund also recently put Quebec among the best places to be an animal abuser.<\/p>\n

The province and Nunavut were cited in the June 16 statement as having the worst animal protection laws in Canada. Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia and Nova Scotia were credited with having the best laws.<\/p>\n

It was not the first year Quebec has been singled out.<\/p>\n

\u201cGandhi said the evolution of a society can be judged in the way it treats its animals,\u201d said Paradis. \u201cThere\u2019s room for evolution here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quebec\u2019s intentions are drawing some praise.<\/p>\n

Martine Lachance, director of a research group in animal law at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal, welcomed the idea of abandoning the notion of animals as \u201cproperty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re telling people, \u2018you can no longer treat animals as inert, property with no emotions\u2019,\u201d she said. \u201cThis will force people to be aware, it will force the courts to act. There will be change, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once the Civil Code has been updated, \u201cQuebec judges will have no choice, in my opinion, to be a bit more coercive,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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