The Animal Care Review Board

The Animal Care Review Board (“ACRB”) is an administrative tribunal that makes decisions under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act (“PAWS”). When an animal is taken into custody by the Animal Welfare Service (“AWS”), formerly the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (“OSPCA”), the ACRB can order return of the animal. It costs money to take care of animal, and once again the ACRB can issue an order on the costs taking care of an animal.

The ACRB has very short deadlines for appealing decisions made by the AWS, in most cases, an appeal of decisions has to be filed within 5 business days. The following decisions may be appealed to the ACRB:

• An order from an animal welfare inspector.
• A decision by an animal welfare inspector to remove an animal from a place.
• A decision to take an animal into the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector’s care.
• A statement of account (the bill for keeping an animal in care)

An Applicant may also apply to the ACRB for:

• A revocation of an order (An Order to have the animal returned if the conditions that caused the animal to be kept in the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector’s care have ceased to exist)

It is important to have an experienced legal professional working on your side to navigate the complex legal and administrative procedures that affect the life of your animals.