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Beaconsfield lauded for ‘groundbreaking’ animal rights law

The centrepiece of the legislation makes the sale of animals illegal in Beaconsfield.
Click to play video: 'Beaconsfield fights animal abuse'
Beaconsfield fights animal abuse
WATCH ABOVE: The City of Beaconsfield is being acclaimed for its leadership in fighting animal abuse after passing a bylaw that prohibits pet shops and puppy mills on its territory, along with numerous other measures. Global's Billy Shields reports – Mar 14, 2016

BEACONSFIELD – A Beaconsfield anti-cruelty bylaw is being championed by animal rights activists for being a model for the province.

Last month, Beaconsfield’s city council passed a series of zoning regulations and bylaws that called for steep fines at the municipal levels.

“The big change is thinking of animals as sentient beings, not property,” said Karen Messier, a Beaconsfield city councillor

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The laws stipulate fines, ranging from $100 to $7,500, will be distributed for various infractions like leaving a dog in a hot car or tethered outside.

On top of the animal cruelty point, the centrepiece of the legislation makes the sale of animals illegal in Beaconsfield.

Currently, there’s only one pet shop in the city, but it only sells equipment.

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Animal rights activists said the new laws are a model for other municipalities in the province.

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