While a proposed class action lawsuit filed in the BC Supreme court on November 21, 2025 accuses the federal and B.C. government of keeping property owners in the dark amid the Cowichan Tribes Aboriginal title ruling, Deputy Premier and Attorney General Niki Sharma's ministry faces a battle in the court for allegedly allowing unfair laws to continue against BC's people with pets and animals population.

Attorney General and Deputy Premier Niki Sharma's latest nightmare with the province's population was started by an email campaign from people with pets in British Columbia that the Attorney General chose to ignore. People with pets from all over the province had emailed the Deputy Premier and Attorney General Sharma with their concerns over pets and animals being seized by the BC SPCA while receiving veterinary treatment and care.

Pet guardians expressed their deep concerns over the BC SPCA’s actions of seizing their pet or animal while in care and treatment of a veterinarian. In those situations, the BC SPCA will receive a complaint and hire their own veterinarian to assess a pet guardian's animal despite the animal being in treatment with an existing veterinarian who has not filed any complaint about the pet guardian or the animal to the BC SPCA.

The veterinarian who is hired by the BC SPCA will assess the animal in veterinary care and conclude that the animal is in distress or critical distress without consulting the treating veterinarian. The BC SPCA seize the animal to provide veterinary care or euthanization.

A BC SPGA spokesperson said, "People with pets and animals from all over the Province contact us. We had many upset and angry emails about the BC SPCA actions where they seize a guardian's animal under veterinary care and treatment by hiring a veterinarian to examine the animal so they can seize it from right under the nose of the unsuspecting treating veterinarian and the distraught family or loved ones. The worst part is the animal's guardian does not know who complained to the BC SPCA and really, does it matter? If the treating veterinarian has not complained about the client or the animal, it is nobody else's business. In this case, we began a campaign called "Justice for People and Their Pets in Veterinary Care" so people with pets could direct their concerns to the attention of the Attorney General and Deputy Premier Niki Sharma. Veterinary care is becoming very expensive for many families and to have an animal seized for complying with animal welfare laws just doesn't seem right.

According to the BC SPGA pet guardians can face fines up to $75,000 and prison up to two years if the BC SPCA then refers the file to Crown counsel for prosecution, “It doesn’t end with seizing the animal for the pet's guardian because the BC SPCA can refer the file for prosecution by the Crown which can result in fines up to $75,000 and up to two years imprisonment.”

A spokesperson for the BC SPGA said, "If the Attorney General had reviewed this allegedly unfair BC SPCA action on people with pets who are responsible and complying with animal welfare laws it would never had seen a day in Court."

A petition was filed in the B.C. Supreme court on December 19, 2025 alleging that the seizure by animal enforcement of an animal in veterinary treatment by two qualified and licensed veterinarians contracted by the pet guardian infringes on section 7 of the Canadian Rights and Freedoms, is unconstitutional and unfair.

A spokesperson for the BC SPGA said that "It is typical that the provincial ministers ignore people with pets concerns. This is leading to some British Columbians resorting to the courts. That should not be necessary. The BC SPGA have offered to participate with the provincial government's elected officials to represent people with pets and animals interests so there is fairness for people with pets and animals in the province. Regretably, many of the elected officials turn a blind eye on the people with pets population except for election time."

The petition filed in the B.C. Supreme court further alleges that people who seek veterinary treatment for a sick or injured animal are complying with animal welfare laws.

A spokesperson for the BC SPGA said, "The Attorney General's role is to ensure that laws are fair. Niki Sharma is a lawyer whose law practice focusses on indigenous issues. There could be a conflict of interest when the rest of the province's concerns are brushed aside particularly animals, whom 98% of Canadians with pets view as their family members."

The BC SPGA had written to the Association Of Veterinarians in British Columbia who replied that the College Of Veterinarians Of British Columbia oversaw veterinary conduct. The College Of Veterinarians were then contacted more than once by the BC SPGA and their Board Of Directors did not comment.

A spokesperson for the BC SPGA said, "In our view it is pathetic that the College Of Veterinarians let their licensed veterinarians in private practice be bullied and demeaned by animal enforcement and the other colleagues in the profession hired by them. The College's "code of conduct" bylaws are not enforceable when animal enforcement laws protect those veterinarians that do this."

The BC SPGA have obtained the filed B.C. Supreme court Petition and accompanying Affidavit for members of the public who may be interested in the contents.

Download the filed petition.
Download the accompanying affidavit.