Bill C-16 Is Now Law - And You Made It Happen

Bill C-16, the Protecting Victims Act, has received Royal Assent - it is now the law of the land in Canada. This is a landmark moment for survivors of abuse and the animals they love, and it is the result of years of advocacy by Canadians who refused to stay silent.

What Bill C-16 Does

Bill C-16 makes two important changes to Canadian law. It strengthens protections for animals harmed or threatened as part of family violence - recognizing that threatening or harming a pet is a form of coercive control, a tactic widely used by abusers to manipulate and frighten survivors. And it criminalizes the distribution of animal sexual abuse material - content that has been used to groom and exploit vulnerable people, including children.

These are meaningful, long overdue protections for both people and animals. The link between violence against animals and violence against people is well established - and Bill C-16 finally closes gaps in Canadian law that left survivors and their pets without adequate protection.

How We Got Here

At the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA, protecting vulnerable lives is at the heart of everything we do - and that means speaking up when Canada's laws fall short. Over the past year, we asked our supporters to take action at every stage of this bill's journey.

First, we launched a petition. Then we asked supporters to email their MP as the bill moved through the House of Commons. When it passed the House and moved to the Senate, we asked supporters to take one more step and email their Senator. At every stage, Canadians showed up - and decision makers listened.

What This Means

Bill C-16 passed the House of Commons earlier this year - a major milestone. Then it moved to the Senate, where appointed members reviewed and voted on it. And now it has received Royal Assent - the final step that makes a bill the law of the land in Canada.

This is what advocacy looks like. This is what happens when people speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

What Comes Next

Winning for people and animals on Bill C-16 is something to celebrate.

But the fight for animals doesn't stop here.

We have two active campaigns that need your voice:

Tail docking was quietly left out of Ontario's new ban on cosmetic procedures with no explanation given. We are keeping pressure on Premier Doug Ford to finish the job for dogs.

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And Canada's Emergency Management Act still makes no mention of animals - we are calling on Prime Minister Carney to change that.