Captive Wildlife Protection Act, 2025

SUMMARY FROM THE OFFICIAL REGISTRY

What you need to know

The Bill enacts the Captive Wildlife Protection Act, 2025 . The Act creates a licensing scheme to operate zoos in Ontario. Under subsection 5 (1), no person shall establish, operate or maintain a zoo without a licence. The Registrar must issue a licence to operate a zoo if specified conditions under section 7 have been met, but has the authority to refuse to issue a licence based on grounds set out in section 9. Section 10 gives the Registrar the authority to propose to suspend, revoke a licence or refuse to renew one, or to suspend a licence without a proposal if the Registrar considers it to be necessary in the public interest. The licensee is entitled to a hearing if the Registrar intends to take any of these steps under section 10 or 12, as the case may be. The Act allows for annual inspections of zoos by the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector. The inspection powers under sections 24 to 27 of the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 apply to those inspections, with necessary modifications. An animal welfare inspector appointed by the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector has the authority to issue an order requiring a licensee to remedy a contravention under the Act. In addition to the grounds for removing an animal under subsection 31 (1) or (2) of the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 , the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector may, under section 15, cause a live animal to be removed from a zoo where it is located and take possession of it on behalf of the Minister if the animal is in the possession of an unlicensed zoo. Offences and penalties are listed in section 16. The Minister has authority to make various regulations under section 19, but not before the Minister consults, in the manner that the Minister considers appropriate, with the persons or bodies that the Minister considers appropriate given the content of the proposed regulation. Section 20 of the Act provides for transitional rules regarding the operation of existing zoos or the personal ownership of wild animals on the day the Act comes into force. The Act also amends the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 so that a person is not required to hold a licence under that Act if they already hold a licence under the Act.

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