Recognize animal sentience
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to pass a law recognizing animals as sentient beings rather than property. The government responds that it recognizes animals' value, cites recent measures and will continue strengthening legal protections.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would formally recognize animal sentience in law, aligning legal status with scientific and moral considerations and enabling laws to focus on animals' welfare.
- A national statute could harmonize standards across provinces, improving consistency in enforcement and protection.
- Legal recognition may strengthen courts' ability to interpret and apply animal‑welfare protections and help deter cruelty.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Altering animals' legal classification could create complex legal effects, affecting property rights and existing statutes in unintended ways.
- Creating and enforcing new national standards could be costly and administratively burdensome for governments.
- More targeted reforms to animal‑welfare laws might achieve similar protections without broad legal reclassification.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada Whereas: Under current Canadian law, animals are classified as property rather than living beings with the ability to feel; Sentience means the capacity to feel pain, fear, comfort, and other experiences, and it is a widely accepted basis for recognizing that animals deserve moral and legal consideration; The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association states that animal sentience should be formally recognized in Canadian law through nationally harmonized animal welfare legislation to ensure consistent protection and enforcement; and, E-petition 6955 asking the government to pass legislation that recognizes animals as the sentient beings was signed by 23,901 Canadian citizens and residents We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to pass legislation that recognizes animals as the sentient beings they are, rather than mere property.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY PATRICIA LATTANZIO Our Government understands and recognizes the important role animals play in our society and their inherent value as living beings. We are prioritizing policies that protect animals and make Canada a better place for them, aligning ourselves with growing public interest. In 2023, cosmetic testing on animals was banned through former Bill C-47 and in 2018 we supported the creation of criminal offences related to the captivity of whales and dolphins. More recently, the Government has proposed changes as part of Bill C-16, the Protecting Victims Act, which would protect both animals and children from the harms caused by the distribution of recordings of bestiality. We believe that animals deserve protection under the law and we are committed to continuing this work. Within the context of Canada’s criminal law, the current classification of animals as property in the Criminal Code has not prevented Canadian courts from finding that offences targeting criminal acts against animals were enacted for the protection of the animals themselves, separate from their legal status as property. Further, Canadian courts have also recognized that animals are sentient beings in numerous cases dealing with animal cruelty prosecutions; sentience is a question of fact and science. Our Government remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering a compassionate and humane society. We believe that by continuing to strengthen legal protections for animals, we can improve the lives of animals from coast-to-coast-to-coast.