According to a recent
article by the Canadian Press, Quebec will amend the Civil Code to better
protect animals from abuse.
Under the proposed change to the Civil Code animals would no
longer be considered “personal property” but instead viewed as living, sentient
creatures. This means that courts would consider pain and suffering when
dealing with charges of animal cruelty; however, it does not mean that animals
would be given the same rights as humans.
Quebec’s new agriculture minister, Pierre Paradis, has acknowledged
Quebec’s reputation for animal abuse and is promising swift change.
The article
recognizes Mercy For Animals Canada’s undercover
investigation at a Quebec veal factory farm as a motivating factor for this
change. The undercover footage from the veal farm showed calves crammed into
tiny wooden crates, often chained at the neck and unable to turn around or lie
down comfortably, and workers violently kicking and beating them.
“Gandhi said the evolution of a society can be judged in the
way it treats its animals,” said Paradis. “There’s room for evolution here.”
Factory farming causes tremendous pain and suffering to
millions of farmed animals in Canada each year. By adopting a compassionate
vegan lifestyle you can help eliminate the suffering of these sentient beings.
Visit ChooseVeg.ca to learn how.