When the BC NDP legislative decisions just don't jive with one another.

On January 15, 2024, British Columbia made history with changes to the Family Law Act by bringing specific provisions dealing with pet custody disputes.

Section 1 of the Family Law Act now recognizes animals as companions which is normally considered "pets." That's a huge win-win for BC animal guardians and their pets. It means that the Courts can now decide on the fate of companion animals in divorce situations or disputes between spouses in a divorce over the family pet(s). For further details please see Pet Custody Disputes Under The Family Law Act.

BC SPGA's Efforts For Changes Spurned by BC Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon

BC SPGA made a very concerted effort to the BC NDP Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon in correspondance to prevent animals from becoming estranged from their loved ones and famillies in divorce and seperation circumstances by providing the legislative changes needed in the Residential Tenancy Act to the Housing Minister so that both the Family Law Act and Residential Tenancy Act would be in unison. The BC RENTAL HOUSING TASK FORCE REPORT, Recommondations and Findings, also makes many references to BC's overwhelming population support of pet-friendly housing.

"I am devastated because my partner and I went our seperate ways and decided 50/50 sharing of our cat and dog that are both like family to us. But now although we have permmission of the Court in our divorce, we don't have apartments that will allow our pets. We are both so devastated. Can you do anything to help us?"

Email received by BC SPGA (names requested witheld by requestor)

The BC NDP have refused to make changes to the Residential Tenancy Act to ensure that all residential tenancies in British Columbia are pet-friendly. This will create terrible implications for families where neither owns or rents a residence that permits their pet(s). As most residential tenancies in BC are not pet-friendly, the divorce proceedings may also result in the surrender of the pet(s) if no one can find accommodation that allows a pet(s) or unfairness in animal custody decisions under the Family Law Act if only one pet guardian can keep a pet and the other cannot due to the restrictions or limitations in their respective accommodation.

Front cover feature story of Felicia and her animal rescue work

Our animals deserve lives that are the best that they can be.

Animals In BC Are Nearly Always The Victims

Where politicians could make simple changes that would save the lives of thousands of animals in British Columbia, the BC NDP has basically decided that the public, who are struggling to meet the basic necessities, should pay $12 million for the BC SPCA to build and repair their cages in four locations.

Even with the BC SPCA repairs in four of their locations, thousands of pets that are wanted and that need homes could find loving homes if people in BC had access to pet-friendly housing across the province.A better solution to cages is simple. Make accommodation pet-friendly and many thousands more British Columbians will be able to provide loving and forever homes for animals that so deperately need them. Animals should not live in cages, be seperated forever from their families and loved ones nor be sold to strangers like slaves. The pets become the innocent victims of some politicians in British Columbia who simply do not care.