Criminal Liability, Dangerous Dogs, Pet Custody, and Beyond
Animal law in Canada continues to expand well beyond traditional cruelty prosecutions, touching criminal law, regulatory compliance, civil liability, family disputes, housing rights, and human rights obligations. Courts across the country are increasingly grappling with how animals fit within legal frameworks that were not designed with modern social attitudes toward pets and animal welfare in mind.
This practical webinar provides a comprehensive update on animal law for Canadian practitioners. It reviews recent Criminal Code case law on offences against animals, regulatory and quasi-criminal enforcement trends, and civil liability issues involving dangerous or aggressive dogs. The session also examines the rapidly developing area of pet custody disputes, as well as animal-related issues arising in housing, condominium, and human rights law.
Designed for litigators, criminal defence counsel, family lawyers, and general practitioners, this course delivers clear legal analysis, practical guidance, and forward-looking insights into where animal law in Canada is headed.
Key learning outcomes and major topics covered in this course include:
Co-Director and Legal Counsel | AEL Advocacy
Kira is head of AEL Advocacy's animal law division. She is also currently the Advocacy Manager for the Animal Alliance of Canada. Kira holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music from York University in Toronto and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law in June 2020. During her academic journey, Kira actively contributed as an executive member of uOttawa’s Animal Justice Association and interned in animal law at organizations including Animal Justice, Breder Law (Vancouver), and Gartner & Associates Animal Law (Toronto). Kira also served as an associate lawyer at OLLIP Professional Corporation, and Scott Law Group, where she launched and ran an animal law department. Kira held the position of Animal Law Research Associate at the University of Toronto, where she assisted in launching Canada's first Animal Law Program at the Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law.
Co-Director and Legal Counsel | AEL Advocacy
Krystal-Anne Roussel is head of AEL Advocacy's environmental law division. She also holds the role of Research Associate in Animal Law at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law. Krystal has a Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law in June 2020. While completing her studies, Krystal took part in the uOttawa-Ecojustice Environmental Law Clinic and worked as a legal intern with East Coast Environmental Law, Animal Justice, and the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick. She completed her articles with the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) and subsequently served as a staff lawyer and water policy coordinator at CELA before starting AEL Advocacy.
