New minimum fines are proposed for dog breeders who violate the province’s Animal Welfare Services Act.
They are part of proposed legislation introduced at Queen’s Park on Monday by Solicitor General Michael Kerzner.
The proposed legislation calls for a minimum fine of $10 thousand if breeders are convicted of violating the act.
“Ontario currently has the strongest penalties for animal welfare violations in the country, and we will not stop until dogs and other animals across the province, have a comprehensive and robust system to ensure their safety,” says Kerzner.
The new fines are part of efforts to crack down on illegal dog breeding operations.
The government says the changes proposed in The Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales Act (PUPS Act) are to address harmful dog-breeding practices most associated with puppy mills and the reckless sale of dogs, such as:
- Breeding a female dog more than three times over a two-year period or breeding more than two litters from a female dog’s consecutive heat cycles
- Breeding a female dog that is less than a year old
- Failing to keep a dog with a contagious disease away from other dogs or animals
- Failing to ensure a dog’s environment is sanitary and free from accumulation of waste
- Separating a puppy from its mother before the age of eight weeks
The legislation also intends to help the province develop new conditions to be met when selling or transferring a dog.
There will also be new regulations related to record-keeping by breeders.
