[nagdu] Animal-neglect law passed

[Ginger Kutsch]

Animal-neglect law passed
  By Angela Hall, The Leader-Post December 9, 2010 3:08   
http://www.leaderpost.com/health/Animal+neglect+passed/3950441/st
ory.html
 

Stiffer penalties for people who neglect animals passed into law
at the provincial legislature Wednesday. 
 
MLAs also agreed to include protection for service animals, such
as those used by people with disabilities and police dogs. 
 
The maximum fine for someone guilty of animal neglect under The
Animal Protection Act is now $25,000 for each offence. Court
imposed fines used to be a maximum of $5,000 for a first offence
and $10,000 for subsequent offences. 
 
The inclusion of potential additional penalties for incidents
involving police and guide dogs came at the request of NDP MLA
David Forbes, who had earlier introduced a private member's bill
to make it an offence to interfere with a service animal. 
 
"We're excited that it came so quickly together," Forbes said. 
 
Forbes said that if a guide dog belonging to someone with a
disability or a police dog is injured or killed, costs to
rehabilitate or replace the animal are steep. 
 
"When they are hurt or harassed or killed, it's a huge expense
and it's real hole in peoples' lives," he said. "It's a big deal
because (those service animals) are with them 24/7 and all of a
sudden that service is gone." 
 
Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud said the need for tougher
penalties under The Animal Protection Act became clear after a
spike in the number of neglect cases in the province. 
 
Pet owners and agricultural producers need to know they have
options other than causing an animal to be neglected, Bjornerud
said. 
 
"There's no excuse for neglecting animals, whether it is
livestock or whether it's pets. Whatever the situation may be out
there, there's alternatives that you can do," he said, adding
people can contact the SPCA, sell their livestock, or call a
neighbour or municipal or provincial government office if they
can't care for their livestock. 
 
An offence under act can now also bring up to two years in jail,
rather than the previous six-month