Canada has the worst record in the western world when it comes to protecting animals, says a leading animal rights lawyer who wants to see euthanizing pets for convenience outlawed.
“This will come as a shock to a lot of viewers, but unfortunately, we do have some of the worst animal protection laws in the western world,” Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice in Toronto told CTV’s Your Morning Friday.
There are no laws against pet owners euthanizing healthy pets merely for convenience, such as moving, not having time or space, changing family dynamics, or minor behaviour or medical issues they don’t want to deal with.
Animals are considered private property in Canada and unlike other western nations, Canada has no animal welfare protection act.
“It’s really out of step with how we think of ourselves as a country. We’re kind and compassionate, yet our governments have completely failed so far to keep up with those values. So things like situations where we still allow healthy animals to be put down for no valid reason is just one aspect of many ways that our laws fail animals.”
Veterinarian Ian Sandler of the Rosedale Animal Hospital in Toronto says fewer vets are willing to euthanize healthy pets and there are fewer such requests from pet owners.
The practice is not prohibited by the veterinarian profession and the huge stray pet population complicates the issue.
It’s up to a vet’s discretion how to handle requests to put down a healthy animal. Some refuse, while others say it’s ultimately an owner’s decision and it’s better to handle it humanely than risk inhumane treatment or abandonment.
Sandler says many vets and technicians try to curb the decision to euthanize when there are no compassionate grounds to do it. He says when that fails, vets often try to find homes for the pets directly or through volunteer rescue groups, or adopt them personally or as clinic pets.
Labchuk says there is a clear distinction between euthanizing an animal that is suffering and has poor quality of life and putting one down because it poses an inconvenience. One is a kindness, the other is cruelty.
“In other situations where the killing is simply done for convenience, I don’t think that the public wants to see that happen.”
Canada needs more rigorous spay and neuter programs and better education of prospective pet owners about the responsibility that comes with adopting or buying a pet, says Sandler.
Labchuk added that governments should provide better levels of funding to shelters and rescue groups so that animals are only ever euthanized for health or behaviour reasons, not lack of space.
According to Canadian Federation of Humane Societies numbers for 2015:
• 1,890 animals classified as healthy were euthanized (759 cats, 39 dogs and 1,092 of other species)
• 4,042 (2,202 cats, 1,606 dogs and 234 others) were euthanized at the request of an owner
• A total of 20,977 animals were put down that year, including 10,912 classified as unhealthy or untreated
It’s important to note this is a voluntary survey and does not include local pounds, animal control facilities, rescue organizations or animals euthanized in vet clinics.
There are no official numbers on how many healthy pets are euthanized.
