The Ontario government will appeal an Ontario court’s decision last month that struck down the powers of Ontario’s animal police as unconstitutional.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Attorney General confirmed on Jan. 25 that the government would be appealing the ruling. The ruling last month was a victory for the Ontario Landowners Association that has been raising money for several years to take on the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA).
Justice Thomas Minnema agreed that the OSPCA’s police powers violated the constitution, because the OSPCA isn’t subject to the same oversight and transparency laws as the police. However, Minnema did not agree with the arguments that the OSPCA had too much power, even though in some cases they have more than the police, saying that those powers are necessary for the OSPCA to enforce animal protection laws.
