On March 30, the Government of Alberta introduced Bill 22, Amendments to the Animal Protection Act. The updates, designed to modernize animal welfare legislation in Alberta, better reflect what animals need for their overall well-being. The Alberta SPCA has been advocating for meaningful change for many years, and we are grateful to have been engaged in the process for updating this legislation.
The Animal Protection Act hasn’t seen meaningful changes in decades. Bill 22 proposes several updates that reflect current animal welfare science and the public’s evolving values bringing Alberta more in line with protections in place in other parts of the country.
For educators, this also offers a timely real-world example of how laws change to reflect new understanding and societal values.
What’s changing?
One significant update relates to how the law defines animal distress. The current legislation defines distress as:
- (a) deprived of adequate shelter, ventilation, space, food, water or veterinary care or reasonable protection from injurious heat or cold,
- (b) injured, sick, in pain or suffering, or
- (c) abused or subjected to undue hardship, privation or neglect.
Bill 22 expands on this definition and includes:
- deprived of adequate opportunity for exercise, movement or the expression of natural behaviours needed for long term health,
- exposed to conditions that cause undue or prolonged fear, anxiety or frustration.
This addition reflects the scientific understanding that animals are sentient beings. They can experience not only physical pain, but also psychological stress. Recognizing this in legislation means animal caretakers will be expected to provide care that supports an animal’s overall well-being.
Bill 22 includes many other important updates including more tools for peace officers, increased fines for offences, and the introduction of jail time.
Why This Matters in the Classroom
Legislation is not static — it evolves as our understanding of the world grows and our values change. Bill 22 is a good example of legislation responding to evolving science and social values. This is a good classroom discussion topic on why laws are made and why they change. It also opens the door to meaningful conversations about empathy, responsibility, and our obligations to animals and the environment.
Classroom Discussion
Read Bill 22 with your class or focus just the definition of distress and discuss the following questions such as:
Why do you think the law expanded the definition of distress for animals? What is the difference between your physical and emotional needs? Is this the same for animals? How do laws help guide responsible behaviour in the community?
Connecting to the Classroom: The Five Needs of Animals
The new legislation aligns closely with what many students already learn about animals and appropriate care through the Alberta SPCA education program. The Five Needs of Animals classroom resource explores animal needs with activities tied to the Alberta Programs of Study. By learning about what animals need to feel healthy, comfortable and safe, students will further their understanding of the responsibility involved in caring for animals and why treating them kindly is so important. This can easily be extended to the needs and feeling of people and reinforce that our actions have an impact on others, including animals.
Stay engaged! Follow the bill as it makes it way through the legislature and encourage students to think crucially about how laws are created, who they protect and why it’s important to be an engaged citizen.