British Columbians are gearing up to cast their votes in the provincial election on October 19, 2024. Recognizing the importance of animal welfare initiatives to British Columbians, the BC SPCA has issued a call to the province’s four main political parties, urging them to integrate several animal welfare-related issues into their party platforms and commit to action for animals beyond the election.
“We can all make individual choices to improve animal welfare, but we need provincial government leadership to make regulatory and policy changes,” emphasizes Kaila Butler, senior manager, communications with the BC SPCA.
Butler continues, “Our well-being is interconnected with the health of our environment and the welfare of the animals who share our homes, our communities, and our province. If the pets and farmed animals we care for and the wild animals we share our ecosystems with aren’t healthy and thriving, we won’t be either.”
The BC SPCA is asking political parties to consider including the following actions in their platforms:
1. Housing people and pets together
- Engaging stakeholders to find collaborative solutions to increase the availability and affordability of pet-friendly housing for all British Columbians.
2. Putting food on everyone’s plate
- Reducing human and animal food insecurity by requiring the provision of pet food in food banks and food security programs supported by the province.
3. Keeping us all safe in emergencies
- Involving and supporting organizations that rescue and care for animals in emergency planning and extending post-emergency financial assistance to cover all animals under the Emergency and Disaster Management Act.
4. Proactively protecting farmed animals
- Implementing the provincial Farmed Animal Welfare Advisory Committee’s recommendations in their entirety with sustainable funding.
5. Reuniting families and ensuring traceability with microchips for pets
- Requiring permanent pet identification to reunite lost pets faster and facilitate regulation of the cat and dog breeding industry.
6. Using a One Health / One Welfare lens to evaluate all policy decisions
- Recognizing, respecting and basing policy decisions on the interconnectedness of people, animals and the environment.
Understanding the need for collaboration across all levels of government, animal welfare organizations, and human social services alike, Butler adds, “The BC SPCA is committed to working with the people and government of our province to continue protecting and enhancing the quality of life of all animals, and we hope B.C.’s political parties and candidates will commit to animal welfare and our connected health and well-being in the upcoming election.”
The BC SPCA encourages supporters and voters to join the cause by signing up to receive more information on the outlined priorities over the coming months. By doing so, individuals will also be able to access resources to determine if candidates share their commitment to animal welfare and contribute to advancing animal welfare in British Columbia.