The recent brutal, senseless murder and torture of a cat in Camrose, Alberta, has shocked citizens back into the realization that our federal anti-cruelty laws MUST be updated. Four teens broke into a home while the owners were out of town and in addition to destroying and stealing many items, they also microwaved their defenseless tabby cat, known as Princess. The harshest penalties these boys face is a mere $2000.00 fine, 6 months in jail, and a ban from owning animals for two years. Our laws haven't been updated since the 1800's!

1. Remove animals from the property offences section of the Criminal Code, allowing for protection of animals that are not “owned”, such as strays and wildlife species.


2. Provide tougher penalties for those convicted of willful and unnecessary animal cruelty or neglect, including increasing penalties to five years in jail and fines reaching $10,000 with the ability to ban offenders from owning animals in the future. Currently, the law allows a maximum of six months in jail and fines of up to $2,000.


3. Establish animal cruelty crimes as hybrid offences, rather than punishable only as summary conviction offences, providing judges with broader sentencing discretion.

Please Visit The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies for more information on what you can do to help pass Bill C-373!

 PetSmart to Start Breeding and Selling Bunnies!

September 4th, 2007:

Rather then reaching out to local Rabbit rescue groups as they do with dogs and cats, Petsmart Inc. has decided to start selling specialy bred dwarf rabbits at 40 of their stores, including at least one Edmonton location. As the largest pet and pet supplies retailer in North America, Petsmart has reached success without ever selling rabbits, and has made public statements in the past as to why they didn't sell them.

Philip Francis, Chairman and CEO of PetSmart, said in a July 1, 2000, interview with Allbusiness.com that "We try to stay on the side of angels with all animals. We do not sell certain animals for specific reasons." The article then goes on to note that "Rabbits are also taboo. Six weeks before the Easter holiday bunnies become popular pet purchases, but 10 days later the majority of them wind up in shelters. For this reason, PETsMART will not sell rabbits, but it will carry rabbit food and supplies."

Although Petsmart has tried to justify this decision by selling only spayed and neutered rabbits, they are still having more rabbits bred to be sold, when they are third most euthanized animal in North America after dogs and cats. There are countless shelters that would greatly appreciate the opportunity to partner with Petsmart, to have their adoptable homeless rabbits spayed and neutered and adopted out through Petsmart stores. They already do this with dogs and cats, we only ask that they extend this same sort of respect to rabbits as well. There are already enough rabbits in existence, and not enough homes for them all....Petsmart can make a difference, but instead, they are adding to the problem.

To learn more, please visit:  http://www.rabbit.org/hrs-info/petsmart_letter.html

Please let Petsmart know how you feel about their decision to start selling rabbits, rather expanding their adoption programs: