Two individuals have been convicted of offences under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019.
On July 22, 2026, in the Ontario Court of Justice in Blenheim, the pair were found guilty of permitting an animal to be in distress, contrary to section 15(2) of the act. One of the two was also found guilty of failing to comply with prescribed standards of care, contrary to section 13(1).
One offender was fined $500. The other was fined $1,000 and is subject to a three-year court order requiring ongoing care and monitoring of the dog involved in the charges.
Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services says cruelty to any animal is not tolerated in the province. Anyone who believes an animal is in distress or being abused is asked to call 1-833-9-ANIMAL (264625).
The PAWS Act came into effect January 1, 2020, making Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to implement a full provincial animal welfare enforcement system. As of July 2026, Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services had issued more than 19,600 distress orders, laid over 2,500 charges under the act and removed more than 18,500 animals from situations of distress.
