Animal Care Review Board
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Type | Tribunal |
| Jurisdiction | Province of Ontario |
| Headquarters | 25 Grosvenor Street Toronto, Ontario |
| Minister responsible | |
| Parent agency | Tribunals Ontario |
| Key document | |
| Website | tribunalsontario |
The Animal Care Review Board (ACRB; French: Commission d'étude des soins aux animaux) is an independent, quasi-judicial agency in Ontario, Canada.[1] It is one of 13 adjudicative tribunals under the Ministry of the Attorney General that make up Tribunals Ontario.[2][3]
The ACRB conducts hearings, hearing appeals of orders and decisions made by the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector and other animal welfare inspectors on disputes regarding animal welfare in Ontario.[4][5][6]
Authority
[edit]The role and authority of ACRB is mandated under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 (PAWS), which allows inspectors to conduct risk-based inspections, reactively respond to urgent animal welfare concerns, and collect evidence to lay charges.[7][8][9]
The Chief Animal Welfare Inspector (CAWI) is accountable to the Solicitor General and is responsible for giving animal owners/custodians notices and taking action if necessary.[10][11]
Powers
[edit]After conducting a hearing, the ACRB may:
- change, confirm or cancel an order;
- return the animal to its rightful owner or custodian;[12][13]
- reimburse costs to the owner or custodian by the Minister;[14][15][16] and/or
- reimburse costs to the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector by the owner or custodian.[17][18]
References
[edit]- ^ "ACRB: About the ACRB". Animal Care Review Board.
The Animal Care Review Board (ACRB) is an independent, quasi-judicial agency.
- ^ "Tribunals Ontario". Tribunals Ontario. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
Our tribunals are: Assessment Review Board, Animal Care Review Board...
- ^ "Definitions". Human Rights Legal Support.
Tribunals Ontario is a group of fourteen (14) adjudicative tribunals that play an important role in the administration of justice in Ontario, including the HRTO. The tribunals are the Assessment Review Board, Animal Care Review Board...
- ^ Bieman, Jennifer (December 8, 2022). "Area horse owners ordered to pay $100K for care of seized animals". The London Free Press. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
Ontario's Animal Care Review Board, the quasi-judicial tribunal that hears appeals of orders and decisions by animal welfare inspectors...
- ^ Casey, Liam (January 11, 2022). "More than 200 sled dogs to remain in Ontario's care, tribunal finds". Global news. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
The board, which deals with disputes and appeals in animal welfare cases, heard the appeal in the fall...
- ^ Cheese, Tyler (October 10, 2022). "80-year-old facing $23K bill after racing pigeons were seized while he was in hospital". CBC News. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
He has since tried to schedule a tribunal hearing with the Animal Care Review Board (ACRB), the body responsible for resolving disputes and conducting hearings related to animal welfare in Ontario.
- ^ Bieman, Jennifer (December 8, 2022). "Area horse owners ordered to pay $100K for care of seized animals". The London Free Press. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
An investigator from Animal Welfare Services, a branch within the Ministry of the Solicitor General responsible for enforcing the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act...
- ^ "Ontario's New Animal Welfare Model". Ontario Newsroom. Ontario Newsroom. Solicitor General. October 29, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
The new enforcement model would establish a provincial enforcement team made up of a chief inspector, locally deployed provincial inspectors and specialized inspectors for agriculture, zoos, aquariums and equines. Inspectors would conduct: (1) Outreach and education on animal care best practices and how to be compliant with the legislation (2) Proactive, risk-based inspections, including, for example, of zoos and aquariums (3) Reactive inspections to respond to animal welfare concerns (4) Investigations to collect information and evidence and determine whether to lay charges...
- ^ "Ontario's New Animal Welfare Model". Ontario Newsroom. Ontario Newsroom. Solicitor General. October 29, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
The proposed Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act, 2019 would improve animal welfare by: [...] Giving inspectors necessary powers to help animals in distress and to hold owners accountable; Giving government the ability to empower others, beyond inspectors, to take action when an animal is in imminent risk of serious injury or death...
- ^ "Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019, S.O. 2019, c. 13". Ontario. Government of Ontario. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
The Minister shall, (a) monitor the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector's performance of his or her duties and the exercise of his or her powers under this Act...
- ^ An, Mary (December 13, 2019). "The current state of animal welfare in Ontario". The Toronto Observer. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
On Oct. 29, Ontario's Solicitor General, Sylvia Jones, introduced Bill 136 with specific roles and responsibilities for provincial inspectors...
- ^ Grimaldi, Jeremy (October 3, 2022). "'I have concerns': Cats returned to Newmarket woman months after 80 found distressed in her care". YorkRegion.Com. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
On Sept. 9, the court ordered that she could be returned to Ishankova...
- ^ Rinne, Gary (Mar 17, 2021). "Animal Care Review Board upholds the seizure of an emaciated pot-bellied pig". TB News Watch. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
At a hearing last month, the Ontario Animal Care Review Board considered a request from Tuna's owner to return him to her...
- ^ Zandbergen, Nelson (September 2, 2022). "SHOCK: Not charged but animal police took his cows anyway and billed him $400K in boarding fees — He fought back and won". Farmer's Forum. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
The 77-year-old Ray largely prevailed at a provincial tribunal in his recent cost dispute with Ontario's animal police...
- ^ Citation: Hobson and Rodrigues v. Chief Animal Welfare Inspector, (ONACRB 2021) ("They have asked the Board to revoke the accounts and order the reimbursement of monies already paid..."), Text.
- ^ Xiao Liu v. Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ONACRB 2018) ("This was based on s. 17(6)(c) of the Act which allowed the Board to consider whether the Toronto Humane Society was entitled to reimbursement by the OSPCA of any costs it may have incurred to comply with the orders prior to their revocation."), Text.
- ^ Zandbergen, Nelson (September 30, 2022). "CALL FOR ANIMAL POLICE PROBE: BFO inspired by Peterborough farmer billed $400,000 for care of confiscated cows". Farmer's Forum. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
The review board denied most of the $400,000 PAWS was seeking from Ray for costs incurred after PAWS rounded up 101 beef cattle...
- ^ Bruineman, Marg. (May 12, 2023). "Sled-dog operation challenges $2.6M animal welfare bills". Barrie Today. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
But the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector still wants Windrift to pay for that 'care'...