EDITOR:
Our gentle Island proudly boasts that our “new and improved” animal welfare laws on P.E.I. are among the best in Canada. P.E.I. The Department of Agriculture and Land and the P.E.I. Humane Society urge citizens to reach out when they believe animals are in distress. The trouble is that the necessary “standard of care” as defined in the Act and Regulations (in particular for farm animals) is left wide open for interpretation. Is the odd bit of hay and water thrown out by owners in advance when they know Agriculture is coming considered sufficient? How many calls need to come in before investigators take action and how much suffering is "OK" before these animals are removed from the situation?!
Where horses are concerned, I’ve learned a lot in the last month. The RCMP says it’s a civil manner, the humane society told me they are not responsible for farm animals (and also informed me they are not an answering service for the department). The Department of Agriculture and Land takes our information and then many situations seem to remain unchanged, sometimes for years. Concerned Islanders constantly plead with the department to take action on these situations and I am trying to keep faith in the process. What I want to know from Agriculture and Land is when exactly will you start removing emaciated and suffering animals, (some even still being used for profit) from farms and tighten up these grey areas for the safety of all. A new eager political team is in place, and I challenge you to do better than the last one!
Katie MacKinnon,
Stratford
