Quebec bill calls animals 'sentient beings' and includes jail time for cruelty

Animals in Quebec will be considered "sentient beings" instead of property under a bill tabled in the national assembly Friday. Animals have biological needs, said Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis, whose legislation includes fines of up to $250,000 for those who are cruel to animals as well as jail time for repeat offenders. Paradis said the bill will put Quebec more in line with Manitoba, Ontario and British Columbia, which he noted have the strongest animal-welfare laws in the country.
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