Yesterday I received the mailed hard copy confirmation letter from MACA Min. Robert McLeod's office, date stamped May 17, 2011. Same letter I had received via email on May 18th.
New Dog Act came into effect on May 15, 2011.
NWT cannot pat itself on the back just yet. Enactment of the new Dog Act moved NWT to Third Last place for Best Place to Abuse Animals. Still nothing to be proud of, a minor improvement at best.
It is most encouraging to see that after three years of my hard work (2008-2011) pressuring the GNWT I have won a Victory for the Dogs here in the NWT. While it is not the Comprehensive Animal Protection Act that I have been fighting for, it is an "interim measure until a comprehensive Animal Protection Act" can be legislated. The motion was brought forward and carried in the Legislative Assembly on March 4, 2011 (Hansard) to continue working towards a comprehensive act, which means that the new government resulting from the Fall election are to continue working towards that goal. I want to see a Comprehensive Animal Protection Act similar to that of Ontario (The Best in Canada). Note that I provided every Canadian Provincial Act to the GNWT for them to draw upon as a Template, as well as graphic pictures, incidents as reported by the media and countless research documents on the Link Between Animal Cruelty and Human Violence. My hope is that the GNWT will adopt an Act closely like that of Ontario ..the Best in Canada.
The decades of unprosecuted and continuing violence against animals should now hopefully come to an end. With the New Dog Act in effect and combined with the Federal Criminal Code perpetrators of neglect, cruelty and violence against dogs should be properly charged and face the consequences. There is no viable or acceptable excuse that can be given for not charging and prosecuting these individuals to the fullest extent of the Territorial and Federal Law.
I will continue my work towards the Comprehensive Animal Protection Act, will continue to monitor all cases of violence against animals in the NWT and I will continue to draw Global attention to these incidents. Until such time as a Comprehensive Act is legislated in the NWT the territory will remain in the bottom tier compared to the rest of Canada. Until such time as violators/offenders in animal cruelty cases are charged and successfully face the justice deserved for their acts of violence against animals the territory will remain in the bottom tier.
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