My name is Tamara Chaney and I have collected 111,896 signatures for a petition that calls for new anti-cruelty legislation. I was moved to do this because I was horrified by the disgraceful torture of a local dog in my hometown named Daisy Duke. I am haunted by the image of this poor dog and the suffering she endured before being mercifully euthanized. As a society we need to address this issue and make enduring and significant changes to our laws so that perpetrators of these crimes can be punished as is just, and so that potential criminals might think twice before committing such a heinous crime.
We have seen some misguided news reports that this petition supports Bill S-213. This is simply not true. Bill S-213 is inadequate, which is illustrated by the following speculation. Let’s say that bill S-213 were in place before Daisy Duke was tortured. If Daisy Duke had been a stray instead of a family pet, and assuming that the criminals admitted that they did torture this animal, they would not have legally committed any crime. This is because a stray is not "property", and animals would only be protected if they are owned as "property." My petition clearly asks for S-213 to be rejected!
We are disheartened that Conservative MP Myron Thompson has mistakenly confused the work and minimized the value of the 111,896 Canadians who signed my petition. I would appreciate it if you could help us set the record straight.
What the petition calls for is modern and enforceable anti-cruelty legislation.
Anti-cruelty legislation like bill C-373. Bill C-373 is the reincarnation of a previous government bill most recently also known as C-50.
Despite overwhelming public support for this bill, it continues to be blocked by many politicians. Some have even claimed that bill C-373 would stop farmers from branding their livestock as well as prevent fishermen from using live bait. Both claims are completely false. The bill is carefully worded to permit accepted animal industry practices, hunting and fishing and existing Aboriginal Rights. It is legislation that makes a positive difference for animals without changing people’s normal and everyday lives at all. It is good legislation.
Bill C-3737 is not second rate legislation like bill S-213. Bill S-213 is a decoy legislation that is designed to make the Government appear as if it is addressing issues that the public wants dealt with, but in actuality will do little to protect animals. It leaves unchanged some of the biggest flaws of the current legislation, including the exclusion of wildlife and strays.
If we care about animals at all we must write to our Senators and ask them to throw the weak and ineffectual Bill that is S-213 into the garbage where it belongs. Additionally, we must demand honest representation from our Members of Parliament. Bill S-213 is expected to have its first reading soon. Please don’t let Daisy’s suffering be in vain.
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