Animal Care Review Board Explained

Agency Name:	Animal Care Review Board Commission d'étude des soins aux animaux (French)
Keydocument1:	Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act

The Animal Care Review Board (ACRB; French: Commission d'étude des soins aux animaux) is an independent, quasi-judicial agency in Ontario, Canada.^[1] It is one of 13 adjudicative tribunals under the Ministry of the Attorney General that make up Tribunals Ontario.^{[2] [3]}

The ACRB conducts hearings, hearing appeals of orders and decisions made by the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector and other animal welfare inspectors on disputes regarding animal welfare in Ontario.^{[4] [5] [6]}

Authority

The role and authority of ACRB is mandated under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 (PAWS), which allows inspectors to conduct risk-based inspections, reactively respond to urgent animal welfare concerns, and collect evidence to lay charges.^{[7] [8] [9]}

The Chief Animal Welfare Inspector (CAWI) is accountable to the Solicitor General and is responsible for giving animal owners/custodians notices and taking action if necessary.^{[10] [11]}

Powers

After conducting a hearing, the ACRB may:

• change, confirm or cancel an order;
• return the animal to its rightful owner or custodian;^{[12] [13]}
• reimburse costs to the owner or custodian by the Minister;^{[14] [15] [16]} and/or
• reimburse costs to the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector by the owner or custodian.^{[17] [18]}

External links

• Animal Care Review Board
• Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act
• Ontario Laws

Notes and References

1. Web site: ACRB: About the ACRB . Animal Care Review Board . The Animal Care Review Board (ACRB) is an independent, quasi-judicial agency..
2. Web site: Tribunals Ontario . Tribunals Ontario . September 21, 2023 . Our tribunals are: Assessment Review Board, Animal Care Review Board....
3. Web site: Definitions . Human Rights Legal Support. Tribunals Ontario is a group of fourteen (14) adjudicative tribunals that play an important role in the administration of justice in Ontario, including the HRTO. The tribunals are the Assessment Review Board, Animal Care Review Board....
4. News: Bieman. Jennifer . Area horse owners ordered to pay $100K for care of seized animals . September 12, 2023 . The London Free Press . December 8, 2022 . Ontario’s Animal Care Review Board, the quasi-judicial tribunal that hears appeals of orders and decisions by animal welfare inspectors....
5. News: Casey . Liam . More than 200 sled dogs to remain in Ontario’s care, tribunal finds . September 21, 2023 . Global news . January 11, 2022 . The board, which deals with disputes and appeals in animal welfare cases, heard the appeal in the fall....
6. News: Cheese . Tyler. 80-year-old facing $23K bill after racing pigeons were seized while he was in hospital . September 12, 2023 . CBC News . October 10, 2022 . He has since tried to schedule a tribunal hearing with the Animal Care Review Board (ACRB), the body responsible for resolving disputes and conducting hearings related to animal welfare in Ontario..
7. News: Bieman. Jennifer . Area horse owners ordered to pay $100K for care of seized animals . September 12, 2023 . The London Free Press . December 8, 2022 . An investigator from Animal Welfare Services, a branch within the Ministry of the Solicitor General responsible for enforcing the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act....
8. News: Ontario's New Animal Welfare Model . September 21, 2023 . Ontario Newsroom . Solicitor General . Ontario Newsroom . October 29, 2019 . The new enforcement model would establish a provincial enforcement team made up of a chief inspector, locally deployed provincial inspectors and specialized inspectors for agriculture, zoos, aquariums and equines. Inspectors would conduct: (1) Outreach and education on animal care best practices and how to be compliant with the legislation (2) Proactive, risk-based inspections, including, for example, of zoos and aquariums (3) Reactive inspections to respond to animal welfare concerns (4) Investigations to collect information and evidence and determine whether to lay charges....
9. News: Ontario's New Animal Welfare Model . September 19, 2023 . Ontario Newsroom . Solicitor General . Ontario Newsroom . October 29, 2019 . The proposed Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act, 2019 would improve animal welfare by: [...] Giving inspectors necessary powers to help animals in distress and to hold owners accountable; Giving government the ability to empower others, beyond inspectors, to take action when an animal is in imminent risk of serious injury or death....
10. Web site: Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019, S.O. 2019, c. 13 . Ontario . Government of Ontario . September 21, 2023 . The Minister shall, (a) monitor the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector’s performance of his or her duties and the exercise of his or her powers under this Act....
11. News: An . Mary . The current state of animal welfare in Ontario . September 21, 2023 . The Toronto Observer . December 13, 2019. On Oct. 29, Ontario’s Solicitor General, Sylvia Jones, introduced Bill 136 with specific roles and responsibilities for provincial inspectors....
12. News: Grimaldi. Jeremy. 'I have concerns': Cats returned to Newmarket woman months after 80 found distressed in her care . September 12, 2023 . YorkRegion.Com . October 3, 2022 . On Sept. 9, the court ordered that she could be returned to Ishankova....
13. News: Rinne . Gary . Animal Care Review Board upholds the seizure of an emaciated pot-bellied pig . September 21, 2023 . TB News Watch . Mar 17, 2021 . At a hearing last month, the Ontario Animal Care Review Board considered a request from Tuna's owner to return him to her....
14. News: Zandbergen . Nelson. SHOCK: Not charged but animal police took his cows anyway and billed him $400K in boarding fees — He fought back and won. . September 12, 2023 . Farmer's Forum . September 2, 2022. The 77-year-old Ray largely prevailed at a provincial tribunal in his recent cost dispute with Ontario’s animal police....
15. Citation: Hobson and Rodrigues v. Chief Animal Welfare Inspector, . ONACRB . 2021 . https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onacrb/doc/2021/2021onacrb19/2021onacrb19.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAJcmVpbWJ1cnNlAAAAAAE&resultIndex=1 . They have asked the Board to revoke the accounts and order the reimbursement of monies already paid....
16. Xiao Liu v. Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals . ONACRB . 2018 . https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onacrb/doc/2018/2018canlii90204/2018canlii90204.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAJcmVpbWJ1cnNlAAAAAAE&resultIndex=5#document . This was based on s. 17(6)(c) of the Act which allowed the Board to consider whether the Toronto Humane Society was entitled to reimbursement by the OSPCA of any costs it may have incurred to comply with the orders prior to their revocation..
17. News: Zandbergen . Nelson. CALL FOR ANIMAL POLICE PROBE: BFO inspired by Peterborough farmer billed $400,000 for care of confiscated cows. September 12, 2023 . Farmer's Forum . September 30, 2022 . The review board denied most of the $400,000 PAWS was seeking from Ray for costs incurred after PAWS rounded up 101 beef cattle....
18. News: Bruineman . Marg. . Sled-dog operation challenges $2.6M animal welfare bills . September 12, 2023 . Barrie Today. May 12, 2023 . But the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector still wants Windrift to pay for that ‘care’....