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 August 19, 2026, in the Ontario Court of Justice in Chatham, Lisa MacNeil was found guilty of permitting an animal to be in distress contrary to section 15(2).

MacNeil was fined $1,000 and banned from owning, having custody of, having care of, or living with animals for three years, except for one dog currently in MacNeil's care. Also, MacNeil must notify Animal Welfare Services of any change of address.

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 August 2026, Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services issued more than 19,700 distress orders, laid over 2,600 charges for offences under the PAWS Act and removed over 20,300 animals from situations of distress negatively impacting their welfare.