La communauté droit animalier Québec (DAQ) has filed a claim in the Superior Court of Quebec, District of Saint-Maurice, seeking a permanent injunction against certain rodeo events scheduled to be held at the St-Tite Western Festival, September 9th and 18th 2022. Specifically, DAQ seeks to prohibit the tie-down roping of calves with a lasso, and steer wrestling. DAQ cites a 2015 change to the Quebec Civil Code (s. 898.1), which recognizes “[a]nimals are not things. They are sentient beings and have biological needs.” They further cite the Animal Welfare and Safety Act, which obligates the owner or custodian of an animal to ensure that the welfare or safety of the animal is not compromised, and prohibits causing an animal to be in distress (see Chapter II, ss. 5 and 6). Read an unofficial English translation of the legal filing here.
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