Humane Treatment of Animals Poll - Executive Summary

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December 3, 2010

WSPA – Humane Treatment of Animals Animal Cruelty The majority of Canadians support one of the core goals of the animal protection movement, which is to minimize and eventually eliminate all forms of animal cruelty and suffering (88%). Women continue to show more support for animal welfare, as they are more likely than men to support this goal (91% vs. 84%). Those who are likely to vote Conservative (78%) are less likely to support this animal protection movement compared to those likely to vote Liberal (89%), NDP (95%), BQ (97%) or Green (89%). Those who have rarely/never hunted or fished in the past year are more likely than those who have often/sometimes hunted or fished to support the movement (91% vs. 74%). Virtually all Canadians (95%) agree that animal pain and suffering should be reduced as much as possible, even in those cases in which the animals are raised to be slaughtered, and 93% would support laws aimed at ensuring that all farm animals are at least able to lie down, turn around, stretch their limbs and/or spread their wings. Women are more likely than men to support this law (95% vs. 90%). Those likely to vote BQ (99%) are more likely than those likely to vote Liberal (94%) or Conservative (93%) to agree that animal pain and suffering should be reduced as much as possible. While a majority of Conservative voters would support laws aimed at ensuring all farm animals are given enough room to lie down, turn around, and stretch their limbs and/or spread their wings (87%), they are least likely to show support – vs. Liberals (94%), NDP (98%), BQ (96%), and Green (95%). Canadians would support the amendments the Canadian humane societies and other animal welfare groups are working to improve in Canada’s federal animal cruelty laws. The majority of Canadians would personally support amendments that: recognize animals are sentient (87%), make laws against cockfighting every bit as strong as those against dog fighting (87%), create new offences making it illegal to poison, injure or kill a police dog or horse (85%) and making it a more serious crime to brutally and viciously kill animals (84%). Just over three‐quarters (78%) would support removing a loophole that allows animal owners to escape prosecution for neglecting their animals unless it can be proven the neglect was willful intent. Almost three‐quarters (73%) of Canadians would personally support the recognition that animals are more than property by removing animal cruelty crimes from the Crimes Against Property section of Canada’s Criminal Code, and many would support removing a loophole that allows animal abusers to escape prosecution by arguing the animal died quickly (72%).

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