This petition asks the House of Commons to create a public registry of people convicted of serious animal abuse, raise Criminal Code penalties for serious animal cruelty, impose lifetime ownership bans on serious or repeat offenders, and fund animal cruelty investigations. It also asks Ottawa to work with provinces on rehoming safeguards and animal seizure powers.

Serious animal cruelty, sexual abuse of animals, torture and intentional killing cause immense suffering;

Existing protections and consequences may not adequately prevent repeat offences or protect animals from convicted offenders; and

Stronger accountability, enforcement and prevention measures are needed across Canada.

We, the undersigned,citizens or residents of Canada, call upon theHouse of Commonsto:1. Establish a national, publicly searchable registry of individuals convicted of serious animal abuse offences; 2. Strengthen Criminal Code penalties for serious animal cruelty offences, including encouraging prosecution by indictment where appropriate and meaningful custodial sentences that reflect the severity of the offence; 3. Introduce escalating penalties and long-term or lifetime animal ownership and access bans for serious and repeat offenders; 4. Work with provinces and territories to establish responsible animal rehoming safeguards, including adopter screening and formal agreements; 5. Increase funding, specialized training and forensic resources for animal cruelty investigations and prosecutions; 6. Establish appropriate psychological risk assessments and information-sharing frameworks to address credible risks to children, vulnerable individuals and public safety; and 7. Work with provincial and territorial governments to strengthen animal seizure powers, enforcement and animal welfare protections across Canada.