Animal Cruelty Investigations

• Lack of food, water or shelter – This is the most common complaint. By law, the person in charge of an animal must provide it with suitable and adequate food, water, and shelter. An adequate shelter must be available to protect the animal from outdoor elements. In summer, a shelter must provide relief from sun, heat, and rain. In winter it must protect from snow, wind, and cold.
  
  
• Failure to provide care – If an animal needs veterinary care, it must be provided within a reasonable time.
  
  
• Abandoned animals – An animal abandoned without care is also a concern of ours.
  
  
• Physically abused animals – We investigate reports of assaulted animals, including poisonings.
  
  
• Neglected animals – Animals must not be deprived of adequate care, be in pain or be suffering. The current laws do not require owners to socialize their animals or take them for walks. They must provide adequate physical care only, thereby legally caring for their pets. The animal’s emotional distress is difficult to evaluate and harder to record. Officers are able to investigate such things as dirty conditions and short chain length.

An Animal Protection Officer, under the Animal Protection Act, can:

• Investigate complaints of neglect, cruelty, and animals in distress;
• Obtain a search warrant to gain access to animals to investigate possible distress situations;
• Take appropriate action to relieve an animal in distress, including seizing the animal, where the owner has not taken appropriate action;
• Inspect, without a warrant, during ordinary business hours, any premises other than a private dwelling where animals are kept for sale, hire or exhibition.

An Officer cannot:

• Prevent someone from owning animals unless that person is convicted of an offence.
• Prosecute someone for an offence without evidence.