Significant Changes To Animal Welfare Enforcement In Ontario Coming In 2020

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The new year will bring some significant changes to animal welfare enforcement in Ontario.

As of January 1st, 2020, the new Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act kicks in with primary responsibility for conducting animal cruelty and welfare investigations transferred from humane societies to government inspectors.

In March 2019, the Ontario SPCA decided to withdraw animal protection services and ended its government contract.

For years before that, the local Windsor-Essex County Humane Society was subcontracted to provide these protection services locally. In June, the Ontario government launched a new, temporary system to protect animals in Ontario after the OSPCA declined to accept the responsibility any longer.

The Humane Society notified the Solicitor General’s office that we wanted to be part of the solution for animals.

“We have worked diligently over the last six months to ensure no animals fell through the cracks during this transition. The WECHS will continue to work with and support the government enforcement team to provide a seamless transition for the future,” said Melanie Coulter, Executive Director of the Windsor-Essex County Humane Society.

“In addition to supporting the government’s enforcement services through sheltering abused animals in need, WECHS will continue to offer all the other services we have for the past 93 years to our local community,” said Coulter.

They will continue to shelter homeless pets and provide them with care, veterinary treatment, and behaviour rehabilitation, as well as educating the public about proper care of animals and provide support to the community.

They also plan to continue to operate our low-cost spay-neuter veterinary clinic.

Members of the public who wish to report an animal that they suspect are being neglected or abused are asked to make a report to the government enforcement service at 1-833-9-ANIMAL (264625).