Over a Thousand March for Stricter Animal Abuse Laws

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A walk for animal abuse awareness took place today at noon.  It was inspired by the recent abuse to a Black Labrador Retriever found in Windsor so badly injured it had to be euthanized.  It was organized on Facebook by Tammy Deslauriers.

Well over 1000 people were in attendance chanting “Change our laws! Protect our animals!” through the streets of downtown Windsor wearing red to show their support.  Dogs were welcome and all sizes were in attendance from Chihuahuas to Great Danes. The route went down Riverside Drive, Bruce, Wyandotte, and Ouellette Avenue.  Windsor Police were there to block traffic and assist.  Motorists were very supportive honking their horns and showing their approval.  A restaurant owner on Ouellette even put out buckets of water for the thirsty dogs.

Melanie Coulter the Executive Director of the Windsor Humane Society, Joe Comartin the Windsor-Tecumseh NDP MP, and Brian Masse the Windsor West NDP MP all spoke on the process of changing our laws and the need to do so.  Both Masse and Comartin have been pushing to reform Canada’s current animal cruelty and abuse laws.  Joe Comartin said the only way for a bill to make it through parliament would be for the Conservative government to introduce their own bill.  He also said that the current animal abuse laws are outdated and have not changed in 100 years where animals were treated as a belonging like a piece of furniture and not as sentient beings as they should be defined as in today’s laws.

There is a future protest planned in front of the Windsor Courthouse on Wednesday when Anjalo Abeywickrema is to face a bail hearing on a charge of one count of causing unnecessary pain, injury or suffering to an animal.