Ontario Court Convicts Individual of Animal Welfare Offences

September 29, 2026

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

On June 16, 2026, in the Ontario Court of Justice in Brantford, Jennifer Guitar was found guilty of:

• Permitting an animal to be in distress contrary to section 15(2)
• Failing to comply with prescribed standards of care contrary to section 13(1)

Guitar was fined $1,000 and is prohibited from owning, having custody or care of, or living with any animal for 25 years.

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.