Bill all bark, no bite?

Ontario is cracking down on animal abusers, but The Toronto Humane Society says the proposed legislation has no teeth.
Last fall the Humane Society criticized the Liberals’ electoral plan to change provincial animal cruelty legislation and the organization is disappointed officials ignored its recommendations, said spokesperson Lee Oliver.
“The real problem is that there’s no genuine strengthening of powers, and it doesn’t say how it will (financially) support the changes,” Oliver said, adding that the province declined the society’s offer to discuss the proposal.
He said the changes were a step in the right direction, but failed on several key points, including the creation of a province-wide standard of animal care.
The new animal protection legislation introduced yesterday at Queen’s Park by Rick Bartolucci, the province’s Community Safety and Correctional Services minister, would be the toughest in the country. Among the key changes are laws requiring veterinarians to report suspected abuse or neglect, Bartolucci said yesterday at the Newmarket headquarters of the Ontario Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“This is all about protecting our animals,” Bartolucci explained. “There are too many incidents of dogs and cats being abused … animals going unfed and held in deplorable conditions.”