[Darlene68]

Newfoundland and Labrador needs to change the laws of this act. Just last week two dogs were found inside a house tied on to the furniture, one had died already from starvation and the other was barely clinging to life. The owner had been gone for quite some time leaving the poor dogs to die a slow death. The pictures shown were horrific. The owner of these poor animals more then likely will get only a small fine. It is totally outrageous and needs to be changed. I received this letter from a local animal shelter, please read and if anyone can help it could make a difference.

If you Can Send an Email, you can Help us.
If it breaks your heart to hear about animals getting abused and their abusers not getting punished because our provincial animal protection legislation is inadequate, you can help us. The Animal Protection Act in Newfoundland and Labrador is very out of date – in fact it dates from the 1970s. We want to send a message to Minister Kathy Dunderdale, the Provincial Minister responsible for bringing in the new legislation, that this needs to be done soon. If the Minister gets enough email messages about this, it will move up her priority list. So dig out your address book and get other people to send this email too.
Here’s how you can help. 3 steps!
1. Copy the email below.
2. Make Subject of email: New Animal Protection Legislation Needed
3. Email it to Minister Dunderdale. Her email is: kathydunderdale@gov.nl.ca
Dear Minister Dunderdale,
As the Minister responsible for the Animal Protection Act, we urge you and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to act quickly to bring in new, rigorous animal welfare legislation this Spring, 2010. Fines and penalties under the current Act that dates from the 1970s, are so inadequate that they are no longer considered a deterrent.
One of the most stark examples of the inadequacies associated with the current legislation is the current minimum fine of $50 for persons convicted of animal cruelty and abuse. This is woefully inadequate and on many levels, an embarrassment for our province. In the new legislation, there needs to be a substantial increase in fines and penalties for persons convicted of animal cruelty and abuse.
We urge you and members of your legislative team to model Newfoundland and Labrador’s new Animal Protection legislation after Alberta and Nova Scotia’s animal protection legislation. Under the current Act, we allow people to chain dogs on without any social interaction. Not only is this cruel, it is dangerous, as studies show that these dogs eventually go mad at the end of the chain and will attack, if and when they break away.
I respectfully request a response from you about the status of the new animal welfare legislation and when it will be enacted.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Street Address