Ontario animal cruelty laws should be enforced by public sector: report

A new report from two animal rights groups says Ontario's animal cruelty laws should be enforced by the public sector rather than by a private charity, as is currently the case.

The report by Zoocheck and Animal Alliance of Canada titled "New directions for animal welfare in Ontario" lays out a vision for animal welfare reform in the province.

It suggests launching a new government commission that would oversee animal welfare law enforcement, which includes frontline investigators, police officers and various ministry inspectors and veterinarians.

Zoocheck executive director Rob Laidlaw says a commission could address long-standing complaints about the lack of oversight, transparency and accountability at the province's animal welfare agency.

The report comes after a decision by an Ontario judge last week that struck down the enforcement powers of the OSPCA.

The judge has given the provincial government a year to re-write the laws that govern the OSPCA to make them compliant with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.