Do Canada’s animal welfare laws protect farm animals?
Sadly, Canada’s anti-cruelty laws do not protect farm animals from suffering caused by factory farming systems provided they are considered standard industry practice. The tragedy is that standard industry practices are responsible for some of the worst animal cruelty imaginable. As a result, you can do almost anything you want to a farm animal in the name of profit without breaking the law, provided standard industry practice is followed. For example, it is perfectly legal in Canada to crate a pregnant sow for her entire adult life, and house seven laying hens in a cage the size of a microwave oven; both are considered standard practice.
