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New Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act Set to Protect Ontario’s Pets in 2020
Animal rights advocates in Ontario have long called for an overhaul to the Province’s outdated animal welfare and cruelty enforcement policies. At long last, it seems like the government has finally responded with a new framework focused on better training for enforcement officials and stiffer penalties for animal abusers. On October 29th, the Province of Ontario announced new upcoming legislation to protect and enforce the welfare of Ontario’s animals. Through a team of approximately one hundred highly-specialized inspectors, this legislation is designed to replace the protections that were put in place previously by the OSPCA; an organization no longer investigating and assisting with animal cruelty cases.
In March 2019, after one hundred years of protecting the welfare of Ontario’s animals, the OSPCA announced they would no longer be enforcing animal cruelty laws, and will shift focus to improving their shelter operations This came to light after a Justice Timothy Minnema ruled that having a private organization enforcing the law without transparency or accountability was unethical. There was also complaint from the OSPCA that they were underfunded and lacked the appropriate resources to carry out their mandate.
Taking The Trash Out of Tailgating
Tailgating is big business in the USA, with more than an estimated 30% of spectators taking part in this exciting tradition before each game. It’s not just NFL tailgating, either. In the 2017-2018 season, an estimated 1.62-million fans came out in support of their favorite college football teams, and almost the same number of enthusiastic fans showed support for their local high school football teams.
Whether it’s a small-town high school football game, or the Superbowl, one thing is for sure – tailgating has become such a grandiose spectacle, it rivals the excitement of the sport itself.
However, no event is without its problems, and tailgating is no exception. One thing is overtly present in the halls, lawns, and parking lots surrounding the stadium; an astronomical amount of tailgating-related garbage.
The Pet Food Landscape
The pet food industry began in 1860, when James Spratt, an electrician from Ohio, travelled to England for work. During his travels, James took notice of local dogs being fed leftover hardtack: a shelf-stable biscuit made for sailors. Spratt recognized a niche market opportunity, and began manufacturing “Spratts Dog & Puppy Cakes”. These biscuits came in a fifty-pound bag, and were made from wheat, vegetables, beetroot, and gelatin. Because this was considered a luxury item, only upper class gentlemen could afford to feed their dogs this commercial product.
Now, more than 150 years later, the global pet marketplace is valued at US$109 billion, and is present in practically every country on Earth. The biggest slice of the pet industry pie is pet foods and consumables, where there is now an ever-broadening spectrum of convenient, consumer-friendly options. Characterizations of consumable goods are broken down by quality, ranging from discount grocery brands, to high-quality, human-grade raw diets, gourmet canned foods, and more. Today, it is not unusual to find pet products containing certified organic ingredients, health-boosting supplements, non-GMO labels, and even exotic imported meats from as far away as Australia and New Zealand.