Northern Ont. woman fined for animal welfare offences

A woman from Temiskaming Shores, Ont., has been fined $3,500 for animal welfare offences involving multiple animals. (File)

A woman from Temiskaming Shores, Ont., has been fined $3,500 for animal welfare offences involving multiple animals.

April Laffrenier was found guilty July 3 of offences under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act in the Ontario Court of Justice in the City of Temiskaming Shores.

Laffrenier was found guilty of four counts of failure to comply with prescribed standards of care, one count of exposing animals to undue risk of distress, one count of failure to comply with an order and one count of permitting animals to be in distress.

Banned from having animals

She was fined $3,500 and is permanently prohibited from owning, having custody or care of, or residing with, any animals, the Ministry of the Attorney General said in a news release.

Laffrenier was also ordered to surrender any animals she currently owns within 30 days of sentencing.

“A provincial animal welfare inspector, or an individual with equal authority, shall have the ability to conduct an investigation of the defendant’s dwelling or other property owned or operated for the duration of the prohibition order,” the release said.

“The defendant shall advise animal welfare services of any residential address changes a minimum of three weeks prior to any planned move.”

If she is found to have any animals in her care, those animals “will immediately be surrendered to animal welfare services.”

“Cruelty to any animal is not tolerated in Ontario,” the release said.

Anyone who believes that any animal is in distress or being abused, call 1-833-9-ANIMAL (264625).

The PAWS Act came into effect Jan. 1, 2020, making Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to implement a full provincial animal welfare enforcement system to enhance animal safety.

Since then, more than 15,900 distress orders have been issued, more than 2,000 charges laid and 12,900 animals removed from “situations of distress negatively impacting their welfare.”