Tory MPP Jack MacLaren's private members bill to strip the Ontario SPCA of its policing powers died on the floor of the Ontario Legislature in March.
Bill 47, brought forward in a bid for more "accountability and transparency" from the charitable organization would leave pets and domestic livestock without any protection from abuse.
Yet, because of a close vote and support from some opposition party members, MacLaren believes that Bill 47 is not yet dead and plans to continue the push to get it passed.
According to MPP MacLaren, the ability to lay charges and levy fines should be the sole responsibility of veterinarians, provincial government and police, as such powers bestowed to a charitable organization is a "conflict of interest". But animal abusers don't seek vet care nor will they notify authorities of their crimes.
Tell MPP MacLaren that NO OTHER organization is better equipped than the SPCA to find and shut down pet hoarders, puppy mills or inhumane farms and that to allow animal abuse to continue unabated and unpunished before adequate protections are put in place is UNACCEPTABLE.
Let him know that removing the only effective tool in the OSPCA's arsenal against animal cruelty in not only unconscionable but criminally negligent and WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
Conservative MPP Jack MacLaren,
As a farmer and self-professed animal lover, you of all people should be well aware of the potential harm to vulnerable animals Bill 47 would cause.
The fact that you continue to push for its passing regardless, puts you in the same catagory as animal abusers.
Removing policing powers from the OSPCA when no abuse of those powers is evident is abusive in itself.
We remind you that vets, civil servants and police officers DO NOT volunteer their services, nor do they work for a minimum wage. The high costs of transferring powers to groups already strained under tight budget constraints and increased work loads would be better spent fixing the REAL problems at the OSPCA -- chronic under-funding, under-staffing and insufficient training.
We strongly urge you to drop Bill 47 and put your FULL SUPPORT behind the OSPCA. To do otherwise would be unconscionable and criminally negligent.
Thank you.
