Ontario Court Convicts Individual of Animal Welfare Offence

An individual has been convicted of an offence under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 (PAWS Act).

On January 16, 2026, in the Ontario Court of Justice in Mississauga, Dimitri Majdalani was found guilty of causing an animal to be in distress contrary to section 15(1).

Majdalani was fined $5,000, ordered to pay $4,916.05 in restitution to Animal Welfare Services, and sentenced to a one-year probation order.

Cruelty to any animal is not tolerated in Ontario. If you think any animal is in distress or being abused, call 1-833-9-ANIMAL (264625).

• The PAWS Act came into effect January 1, 2020, making Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to implement a full provincial animal welfare enforcement system to enhance animal safety.
• As of July 2026, Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services issued more than 19,600 distress orders, laid over 2,500 charges for offences under the PAWS Act and removed over 18,500 animals from situations of distress negatively impacting their welfare.