Cruelty bill inadequate: animal-rights protesters
Last Updated: Sunday, March 30, 2008 | 5:13 PM PT
CBC News
A federal bill proposing stiffer penalties for animal cruelty doesn't go far enough, protesters in Vancouver and six other Canadian cities said Sunday.
Bill S-203, the animal protection bill to be voted on in Parliament in April, continues to treat animals like objects and excludes wild or stray animals from protection, Vancouver protest organizer Rose Nadoan said.
"This bill is the old bill that has never really been changed dramatically," Nadoan said at the rally, held at the Vancouver Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver on Sunday. About 200 people joined in the peaceful demonstration.
"It does not change the definition of 'animals' from the word 'property'; it does not target violent offenders of heinous crimes — brutal crimes against animals; it does not close the hundreds of loopholes that our present justice system has when it comes to convicting or indicting or prosecuting animal offenders."
Protests were also held in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor, Ont., Calgary and Yellowknife.
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