Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 07/01) - The territory's main animal protection group has little power here. As Yellowknifer discovered, some animal rights advocates say there is a need for stronger measures to fight animal abuse that often goes unchecked.

"When it comes to investigating neglect or abuse they do not have any authority," said Gilly McNaughton, of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

McNaughton, who is the adoptions co-ordinator with the Great Slave Animal Hospital, said she's frustrated with the organization's lack of teeth.

"A lot of what I see here is unacceptable. They need to do more."

A few weeks ago McNaughton said she received a call from someone in Ndilo looking to get rid of some puppies.

McNaughton said the puppies looked near death: skin, bones and worms.

She said she called the SPCA but they could do little, so McNaughton took the puppies to the clinic herself with the consent of the owners.

Six of the nine puppies died.

Janet Pacey, vice-president of the city's SPCA, said there is little the group can do under current city and territorial legislation.

"We don't have any authority at all," said Pacey. "We'd have to change the city and territorial legislation to include us as an enforcement agency."

According to Judy McLinton, spokesperson for Renewable Resources, the territory has no legislation covering cruelty to pets.

The city does have a bylaw covering cruelty to pets but Doug Gillard, manager of the municipal enforcement division, said the city refers serious cases to the RCMP.

Under the bylaw, a person could be issued a mandatory court appearance and face fines up to $2,000 for an individual or $10,000 for a corporation.

"The federal legislation is well over 100 years old and difficult to enforce," said John Janzen, communication co-ordinator for the Alberta chapter of the SPCA.

Janzen said the federal government is currently updating the law to make it easier to enforce. Janzen said under the old law, the police had to prove intent to hurt, which is difficult to do in animal cruelty cases.

In Alberta, under the Animal Protection Act, the SPCA can enter premises and seize animals they believe maltreated.

The SPCA can also inspect businesses that sell animals.

McLinton said the territory is not considering implementing pet protection legislation. She said they did submit suggestions to the current federal process updating Bill C-15B, the criminal code law.

Pacey said due to limitations, the group's main role is education. She said the SPCA often receives complaints and they work with the city's municipal enforcement division. McNaughton believes the SPCA should be pushing for a little more influence.

"There is a lot more that could be done," said McNaughton.

She said the animal hospital can't keep taking in animals on their own.