Rummaging through the Resistance to Animal Legal Status in Canadian Legislation

• In Event: Posters II

Abstract

Over the past decade, legal activists, ethicists, and scientists have argued that there is increasing evidence that animals possess reason, language, and emotions. In several jurisdictions, including Germany, Spain, the U.S., and now Canada, there is a movement to revise current statutes regarding animals, to move them from 'property' to 'non-human person' status. In a recent ruling, a Canadian judge noted that animals might not yet have rights in the conventional sense , but at the very least their status is evolving. Public comments on a social media site associated with a CBC news story on recent developments in animal rights were analyzed to understand resistance to changes in Canadian law. Findings suggest that public opinion regarding animal legal status may be lagging behind more recent scientific evidence.

Authors

• Allison Gray, University of Windsor

• Carla Cesaroni, University of Ontario Institute of Technology