Recognize animal sentience
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to recognize animals as sentient beings rather than property. The government responds that it recognizes animal protection, says courts consider sentience factual, and will keep strengthening protections.
Why we would sign this petition
- Recognizing animal sentience would align law with the scientific evidence cited by petitioners, acknowledging animals’ capacity to feel and guiding more humane policy.
- Legal recognition could strengthen animal‑welfare laws and enforcement by giving courts and regulators a clearer basis to protect animals.
- It would bring Canada closer to other jurisdictions and professional bodies urging sentience recognition, helping harmonize national standards.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Changing animals’ legal status may have complex property‑law consequences that require careful, comprehensive reform beyond a single declarative change.
- Some may prefer targeted reforms to specific protections rather than a broad sentience recognition if it causes legal uncertainty or additional costs.
- Courts already treat sentience as a factual question, so petitioners’ aims might be advanced through case law and incremental legislative changes instead.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada Under current Canadian law, animals are not considered sentient beings, and are classified as property; Sentience is the ability to experience feelings and sensations, and is an ethical basis for determining that animals deserve moral consideration; On April 19, 2024, the New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness was initially signed by 39 scientists, philosophers, legal scholars and those in relevant fields, from Canada and around the world. There are currently 583 signatures. The Declaration affirms there is strong scientific evidence that all vertebrates and many invertebrates possess conscious experiences, and by consciousness, the document is referring to sentience; Professor Kristin Andrews, Toronto York University Research Chair in Animal Minds, who has studied animal cognition for more than 30 years, co-initiated the New York Declaration, saying "the declaration affirms that we can no longer assume these creatures are insentient or incapable of feeling... we need to recognize they likely feel pain and pleasure, and minimize the negative experiences we impose on them”; The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association "holds that the recognition of animal sentience should be considered within the Canadian legal system under nationally harmonized animal welfare legislation to ensure consistent application and enforcement"; and The 32 countries that have formally recognized non-human animal sentience include the European Union, Switzerland, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. We, the undersigned, Professor Kristin Andrews, York Research Chair in Animal Minds, Dr. Judith Samson-French CVMA, Will Kymlicka (Order of Canada), Canadian Research Chair in Political Philosophy, Queen's University, Sue Donaldson, Department of Philosophy, Queen's University, Animal Justice, Montreal SPCA, Animal Alliance of Canada, Humane World for Animals Canada, World Animal Protection Canada, Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals, and citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to pass legislation that recognizes animals as the sentient beings they are, rather than mere property.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY PATRICIA LATTANZIO Our Government understands and recognizes the important role animals play in our society and their inherent value as living beings. We are prioritizing policies that protect animals and make Canada a better place for them, aligning ourselves with growing public interest. In 2023, cosmetic testing on animals was banned through former Bill C-47 and in 2018 we supported the creation of criminal offences related to the captivity of whales and dolphins. More recently, the Government has proposed changes as part of Bill C-16, the Protecting Victims Act, which would protect both animals and children from the harms caused by the distribution of recordings of bestiality. We believe that animals deserve protection under the law and we are committed to continuing this work. Within the context of Canada’s criminal law, the current classification of animals as property in the Criminal Code has not prevented Canadian courts from finding that offences targeting criminal acts against animals were enacted for the protection of the animals themselves, separate from their legal status as property. Further, Canadian courts have also recognized that animals are sentient beings in numerous cases dealing with animal cruelty prosecutions; sentience is a question of fact and science. Our Government remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering a compassionate and humane society. We believe that by continuing to strengthen legal protections for animals, we can improve the lives of animals from coast-to-coast-to-coast.