Thank you.
Good afternoon, honourable members. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today on this very important issue.
The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies is a national animal welfare charity formed in 1957, and it is the only national voice of humane societies and SPCAs across Canada. Humane societies and SPCAs are mandated under provincial law to carry out investigations of suspected animal abuse and to enforce the federal Criminal Code as well as provincial animal protection legislation.
Under today's law, only half of 1% of animal cruelty investigations are prosecuted in court. I want to emphasize that the CFHS is not an animal rights organization and does not espouse an animal rights philosophy. As an animal welfare organization, we promote the responsible and humane use of animals, reflecting the values of the majority of Canadians. The CFHS respects the need to safeguard heritage activities in Canada, such as farming, fishing, hunting, and trapping.
As l'm sure you know, the CFHS is adamantly opposed to Bill S-203. We cannot understand why our Canadian Parliament would want to enact 1892 legislation, simply adjusted for inflation. I'm just going to run through some of the problems with the current legislation.
We see wilful neglect as the biggest problem with the current law, because it requires proof that a person intended to neglect their animals, which is virtually impossible to prove; it's a bit of an oxymoron.
There are holes in the law with regard to trying to prosecute cases of animal fighting, which is a particularly horrific and bloody activity--