A new petition submitted to the House of Commons by Barbara Cartwright, CEO of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, is urging Parliament to establish a pets' bill of rights in rental agreements. Blacklock's Reporter says the petition argues that discrimination against renters with pets is unjust and harmful.“Pet restrictions in rental housing lead to housing insecurity, mental health impacts, and homelessness for some tenants with pets, disproportionately affecting young people and vulnerable populations including seniors and people with disabilities,” reads the preamble to petition 5046. The petition highlights that losing suitable housing is one of the top three reasons people surrender their pets to animal shelters.While Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act prohibits "no pets" clauses in rental agreements, the petition calls for Parliament to adopt similar provisions as a federal initiative, despite tenancy contracts being regulated by provinces.“Canadians love, value, and rely on the emotional support of their pets,” the petition states. “More than 60% of Canadian households have cats and dogs, with over 70% identifying them as family members. Pets provide proven benefits like reducing stress, depression, and loneliness, and improving social connectedness.”The petition proposes the inclusion of tenants with pets in a legally binding nationwide Canadian Renters’ Bill of Rights, which would void any “no pet” clauses in tenancy agreements. It is open for public signatures until November 2.The initiative is sponsored by Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Beaches-East York, Ont.), a prominent advocate of animal rights in the government caucus. Erskine-Smith has previously pushed for a broader legislative approach to animal protections. In 2019, he suggested that Parliament create a Special Committee on Animal Rights to make comprehensive recommendations to the government.“The fundamental question I have is this: In terms of thinking of a way forward, do you think it would be useful to strike an all-party parliamentary committee looking at animal protections more broadly, to make recommendations to the government so we can see a government piece of legislation that implements much broader reforms where consensus has been forged?” said Erskine-Smith.In 2016, Erskine-Smith proposed a private bill advocating 18 months' jail for anyone causing "unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal." However, MPs rejected Bill C-246 An Act To Amend The Criminal Code by a vote of 198 to 84. “This is about ending animal abuse,” Erskine-Smith said at the time.The bill faced opposition from the cabinet, with concerns that it would affect traditional hunting and food processing practices. “Canadians who enjoy hunting or fishing or raising animals to be slaughtered for food are deeply concerned these practices could be captured by these new offences,” Liberal MP Bill Blair (Scarborough Southwest, Ont.), then-parliamentary secretary for justice, stated at the time.
