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Joe Shlabotnik

(5,604 posts)
Fri Jun 5, 2015, 08:17 PM Jun 2015

Quebec bill calls animals 'sentient beings' and includes jail time for cruelty

Animals in Quebec will be considered "sentient beings" instead of property under a bill tabled in the national assembly Friday.

Animals have biological needs, said Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis, whose legislation includes fines of up to $250,000 for those who are cruel to animals as well as jail time for repeat offenders.

Paradis said the bill will put Quebec more in line with Manitoba, Ontario and British Columbia, which he noted have the strongest animal-welfare laws in the country.

The legislation states that "animals are not things. They are sentient beings and have biological needs."
Applies to domestic and farm animals.

Paradis said the act pertains to all domesticated and farm animals and certain wild animals.

Even goldfish don't escape the proposed rules. "If you have a goldfish you have to take care of it," he said. "Don't get a goldfish if you don't want to take care of it."
from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-bill-calls-animals-sentient-beings-and-includes-jail-time-for-cruelty-1.3102399
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Quebec bill calls animals 'sentient beings' and includes jail time for cruelty (Original Post) Joe Shlabotnik Jun 2015 OP
Wow! shenmue Jun 2015 #1
outstanding.... dhill926 Jun 2015 #2
Advanced. byronius Jun 2015 #3
That is beyond wonderful! NCarolinawoman Jun 2015 #4
In the USA, isn't cruelty to animals... 63splitwindow Jun 2015 #5
Actually, probably Joe Shlabotnik Jun 2015 #6
Good for Quebec. Animal cruelty laws need to be reinforced RebelOne Jun 2015 #7
great Beringia Jun 2015 #8

NCarolinawoman

(2,825 posts)
4. That is beyond wonderful!
Fri Jun 5, 2015, 09:48 PM
Jun 2015

If we could come even close to that in my country or state of NC...

The Democrats in my state recently tried to get something like that passed but we are now in the minority, so of course it failed.

Joe Shlabotnik

(5,604 posts)
6. Actually, probably
Fri Jun 5, 2015, 11:15 PM
Jun 2015

But (and no different in Canada), its all about enforcement, which is underfunded, and a legal system that hands out slaps on the wrist for this kind of stuff. So the Quebec bill is good, but realistically its only a start.

Edit to add: However naming animals as sentient beings is a big step forward.

RebelOne

(30,947 posts)
7. Good for Quebec. Animal cruelty laws need to be reinforced
Sat Jun 6, 2015, 02:37 PM
Jun 2015

here in the US along with huge fines and jail time.

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