Animal Welfare Law in Canada and Europe

Authors

Elaine L. Hughes, University of Alberta, Canada
Christiane Meyer

First Page

23

Abstract

The idea that animals are entities that deserve protection, irrespective of their utility to man, is firmly grounded in the Enlightenment. The principle that a creature's need for considerate treatment did not depend on the possession of a soul or the ability to reason, but on the capacity to feel pain was formulated and debated at that time. The debate continues today-Canada is in the midst of examining its own ethical, philosophical and legal beliefs about animal welfare and cruelty. This article examines the current state of animal welfare and cruelty laws and recent attempts through federal legislation to modernize the animal welfare provisions of the Canadian Criminal Code. Comparisons are drawn with European animal welfare and cruelty laws, which tend to be more concerned with an animal's welfare than Canadian laws, which tend to be more concerned with the economic interests of humans.

Recommended Citation

Elaine L. Hughes & Christiane Meyer, Animal Welfare Law in Canada and Europe, 6 Animal L. Rev. 23 (2000).
Available at: https://lawcommons.lclark.edu/alr/vol6/iss1/4