Ontario has introduced legislation to help stop unethical dog breeding operations, often known as puppy mills. The Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales Act (PUPS Act) if passed, will amend the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act (PAWS Act) to stop harmful dog breeding practices, impose penalties, and make sure that dogs across Ontario receive the care they deserve.
“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,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “The Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales Act will help to ensure Ontario remains a leader in animal welfare by being the first province in the country to introduce minimum penalties specific to puppy mills.”
The changes proposed in the PUPS Act will prohibit the harmful dog-breeding practices most often associated with puppy mills and the reckless sale of dogs, such as:
- Breeding a female dog more than three times in 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
Under the new legislation, the province will introduce minimum penalties of $10,000 for bad actors operating a puppy mill and $25,000 if these violations result in the death of a dog. Changes will also allow the province to help develop regulations to set conditions that must be met when selling or transferring a dog and establish regulations for record-keeping.
The province also intends to consult on regulations relating to medically unnecessary procedures for dogs and cats, such as declawing, tail docking, ear cropping, and debarking, and establish a framework for administrative monetary penalties under the PAWS Act.
The PAWS Act came into effect January 1, 2020, making Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to implement a full provincial animal welfare enforcement system to enhance animal safety.
