Canada give unanimous OK to animal rights

[abc]

MPs give unanimous OK to animal rights

Next step is developing animal-welfare declaration

November 8, 2009

In a rare move, federal MPs have voted unanimously for a private
member's motion in support of a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare
-- essentially agreeing that animal welfare is important.

The motion calls on Canada to support development of animal-welfare
declarations at all relevant international organizations and forums.

The move sees Canada join a growing list of governments around the
world who have agreed that animal welfare could play an important part
in reducing poverty, hunger and disease in the developing world.

The list includes all 27 members of the European Union, as well as
Tanzania, the Seychelles, Bahrain, Australia, New Zealand, India, the
Philippines and Thailand.

In Canada, the declaration was championed by animal-welfare groups,
including the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, the Ontario and
B.C. Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the
Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.

The initiative aims to link the entire animal-welfare movement under
one strategic goal: global recognition that animals are capable of
feeling pain and suffering, and that they deserve protection.

The declaration voted on in Ottawa and elsewhere is non-binding in a
legal sense, but its impact could be significant.

Organizers say that by establishing the status of animal welfare as an
international issue of concern, it will:

- Provide a basis for animal-welfare legislation in countries where it
does not already exist;

- Encourage governments to improve their national animal-welfare
legislation;

- Recognize the reality of animal welfare as a key factor in
humanitarian and environmental policy making;

- Encourage those industries that use animals to keep their welfare at
the forefront of their policies;

- Improve public awareness of the importance of animal welfare; and

- Inspire positive change in public attitudes toward animals.

"WSPA congratulates Parliament on coming together across party lines to
support this motion. Usually MPs fight like cats and dogs, not protect
them. This proves that all parties can work together to do good," said
WSPA Canada's Patrick Tohill.

"The declaration will be a key to improved animal-welfare legislation
worldwide and a step closer to ending animal cruelty globally," said MP
Michelle Simson (Scarborough Southwest) during the debate Friday.

After the vote, Patrick Tohill, speaking for the group pushing the
declaration, said he was pleased with the support.

"We are grateful to the Conservative government for coming up with a
compromise that achieved unanimous support for animal welfare, and to
the Bloc Quebecois, who made a party commitment during last year's
election to support this motion -- the first party to do so," Tohill
said.