As of January 1st, Ontario’s new animal welfare system will replace the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Locally, Inspector Jeremy Gardiner tells us that it means they’ll still follow up on animal abuse calls but not through the Humane Society. “We won’t be working out of the Humane Society, but we will still have a partnership with them in terms of sheltering and stuff like that but starting January 1st we will be under the Solicitor General.”
The government created the new system following the news the OSPCA no longer wanted to be responsible for the investigations into animal abuse. Thunder Bay’s Humane Society Executive Director Shawna Beaulieu says residents won’t notice a change since the province is keeping the old tip line. “1-833-926-4625 and that’s the number they call currently and that they will continue to call if they come across animals in distress.”
You can read more about the changes coming to animal welfare rules by clicking HERE.
