Protesters arrested in ‘crackdown’ could have their pets taken into care, Canadian authorities have warned
Canadians participating in protests against Covid-19 mandates have been threatened with inadvertent surrender of their pets if arrested by police, authorities warned on Thursday.
According to an announcement on Ottawa-By-law’s Twitter account, anyone arrested at protests in connection with “implementing measures” by the government could have their animals placed in “protective care” for a week if they are unable to care for them.
The suspect must pay for the care of the animal. After eight days, if arrangements have not been made, the animal would be considered “abandoned”. A tweet from Ottawa’s regulatory department included a photo of a dog hanging from a truck window.
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Ongoing protests in Canada began weeks ago as a convoy of truckers protesting vaccines and quarantine mandates for border crossings, but the movement has morphed into much larger protests against the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Attention Show Animal Owners If you are unable to care for your animal as a result of law enforcement action, your animal will be placed in protective care for 8 days, at your expense. Beyond 8 days, if no provision is made, your animal will be considered abandoned. pic.twitter.com/OkbXc8RE3c
— Ottawa Bylaw (@OttawaBylaw) February 17, 2022
The pet warning is the government’s latest effort to break up the protests, which have created “illegal blockades”, according to Trudeau, at busy border crossings and in major cities. Trudeau recently invoked the Emergencies Act, giving police more leeway to deal with protesters. Canada has also ordered a freeze on crypto donations to the Freedom Convoy, which has won support from top experts like Jordan Peterson.
The threat to seize pets has renewed criticism of the Canadian government, with some saying it is going too far.
A possible and explicit punishment for participating in a peaceful protest in Canada – beyond freezing your bank accounts – is that the state will take your pet and, after 8 days, declare it “abandoned” if others “arrangements are not made”. https://t.co/9hrVSyHNlF
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) February 17, 2022
Police have issued warnings to protesters who continue to demonstrate, increasing their presence this week in cities like Ottawa, according to CBC. On Thursday, Ottawa police also began erecting fences in front of government buildings, including Parliament Hill and the Senate. Police also issued written warnings to protesters, promising tougher action in the future.
“You must leave the area now. Anyone who blocks streets or helps others block streets is committing a criminal offense and you can be arrested,” a written notice delivered on Wednesday read.
rt Gt