The government has continually displayed its lack of compassion and care for animals in the province of Ontario.  Once again the Provincial Liberal government is considering implementing restrictions to curb the enjoyment of pets in Ontario by giving landlords the right to discriminate against pets living in rental units. This would apply to all pets not only dogs and cats but other animals such as birds, gerbils, hamsters, etc.

The subject of pets in rental units is addressed in the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 17 which protects the landlord and allows appropriate action in order to evict a tenant or terminate a lease if a pet becomes a problem.

76. (1) If an application based on a notice of termination under section 64, 65 or 66 is grounded on the presence, control or behaviour of an animal in or about the residential complex, the Board shall not make an order terminating the tenancy and evicting the tenant without being satisfied that the tenant is keeping an animal and that,

(a) subject to subsection (2), the past behaviour of an animal of that species has substantially interfered with the reasonable enjoyment of the residential complex for all usual purposes by the landlord or other tenants;

(b) subject to subsection (3), the presence of an animal of that species has caused the landlord or another tenant to suffer a serious allergic reaction;

A blanket ban on pets in any rental buildings in Ontario flies in the face of the regulations in place now and infringes on the Ontario Human Right Code. The Human Right Code is a provincial law that gives equal rights and opportunities without discrimination in areas such as jobs, housing and services. The Code’s goal is in place to prevent discrimination and potential changes in this law will discriminate against pet owners living in rental units.

We demand the rights of pet owners be respected and new restrictions and/or changes, undermining  those rights not be implemented by the Provincial Liberal Party.