Saskatchewan·NewThe Saskatchewan SPCA is concerned over proposed changes to the province’s Animal Welfare Enforcement Act. The contract for Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan, which provides animal welfare enforcement for most of the province, expires in March, and the province says it will allow others to bid.Province has put out a request for proposals for organizations to bid on animal protection services contractScott Larson · CBC News · Posted: Nov 25, 2025 5:00 PM EST | Last Updated: 30 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.A file photo shows an animal welfare worker with a horse. Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan provides animal welfare enforcement in the province. (Tristan Le Rudulier/CBC)The Saskatchewan SPCA says it’s concerned over proposed changes to the province’s Animal Welfare Enforcement Act.Currently, Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan provides animal welfare enforcement for the entire province except Regina, where the Regina Humane Society is in charge of enforcement.The enforcement contract for APSS expires in March, and the province says it will allow others to bid on the contract.That was one of the changes the province highlighted in a news release last week, as it introduced legislative amendments it says will “strengthen and create more transparency and public accountability around animal welfare enforcement.”SaskSPCA spokesperson Josh Hourie says animal protection officers face many challenges.”One of those big things is the financial resources that are available to them,” Hourie said.”We’re pretty concerned about the information that we’re seeing from the government as it relates to the amount of money that is being proposed for the new agency that will take over enforcement services.”In an Oct. 31 news release, the province said it spent about $6.5 million in the past three years on animal welfare enforcement.”The request for proposal documents indicate that the current budget, or proposed budget, will be $1.6 million” annually, said Hourie. “So we’re seeing a decrease in the number of dollars available to the agency or agencies that could potentially take over. And we are concerned that that may not allow for whoever takes over to adequately do the job.”SaskSPCA provided animal welfare enforcement up until 2015, when Animal Protection Services took over.Hourie said right now, highly trained animal protection officers are working on enforcement. With the changes, it’s unclear what qualifications will be rquired for whoever takes over the service, he said.SaskSPCA wants to see more information from the provincial government on how animal welfare protection will be handled going forward.In a Nov. 19 news release announcing the Animal Protection Amendment Act, 2025, the province said its proposed changes include:Creating animal welfare inspector positions to provide education on animal care to the public and livestock industry members.Providing the authority to obtain telewarrants to relieve animal distress.Establishing a code of conduct for animal protection officers and animal welfare inspectors.Establishing a chief officer position to oversee officer conduct.Providing the authority to create an appeals board to adjudicate matters of animal disposition and owner liabilities for expenses. The Saskatchewan Party government “wants to ensure provincial legislation reflects evolving changes to international trade requirements and changing expectations of the public regarding animal welfare enforcement,” Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison said in the new release. “These amendments provide the flexibility and enhancements needed to accomplish these goals.”Hourie said if multiple agencies end up being contracted to enforce animal welfare, there’s a risk of inconsistent investigations and a discrepancy in training standards.”Different organizations doing different things might create some inconsistencies across the board as it relates to things like preparing court documents and things of that nature,” he said.”Those are just some of the pieces of the puzzle that we don’t have available to us yet, and we’re really just hoping for more information from the government as we go forward.”The province says its proposed legislation is expected to be passed in the spring of 2026.ABOUT THE AUTHORScott Larson works for CBC News in Saskatoon. scott.larson@cbc.ca
SaskSPCA worries proposed enforcement changes could put animal welfare at risk
