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Earlier this month, AMCTO wrote to the Minister for Natural Resources and Forestry and the Solicitor General to encourage the Province to develop a mandatory licensing regime for the keeping or use of exotic animals in captivity in the interest of public safety and to minimize the operational, financial and legal risks to the municipal sector.
Ontario is the last major jurisdiction in Canada that has not licensed or restricted the keeping or use of exotic animals in captivity and the existing legislation in the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 is insufficient. As a result, municipalities have had to try to manage regulation and enforcement through bylaws resulting in different regulatory and enforcement regimes across the Province.
Municipalities have been left to deal with issues and problems related to public safety and enforcement without the proper training to handle exotic animals which can result in safety risks to the public and enforcement officers as well as present a financial and legal burden.
AMCTO has been collaborating with World Animal Protection, Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), and the Municipal Law Enforcement Officers Association of Ontario (MLEOAO) to build a coalition of support on this issue.
Read the Letter