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The information provided in this table is extracted from The CVJ article, Addressing Animal Abuse and Neglect in the Veterinary Profession, and is a companion to the position statement on Responsibility of Veterinary Professionals in Addressing Animal Abuse and Neglect. It is provided here to summarize the provincial reporting of abuse requirements and protections for veterinary professionals in an updateable format.
Table 1: Reporting requirements and resources for veterinary professionals by province or territory as of January 2025.
| Province/ Territory | Mandatory Reporting? | Legal Immunity for Good Faith Reporting? | Report to | Type of Duty to Report | Reporting Authority and Related Links | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DVM | RVT | DVM | RVT[i] | ||||
| British Columbia | Yes | No | Yes | No | BC SPCA Animal Helpline 1-855-622-7722; RCMP; local police; Conservation Officer Service (RAPP) | PCA Act: A registered veterinarian who believes on reasonable grounds that a person responsible for an animal is, or is likely, causing or permitting the animal to be in distress in contravention of this Act must promptly report, to the best of the registered veterinarian’s knowledge and belief, all of the following information to an authorized agent: a) the reason for believing that an animal is in distress; b) sufficient information to contact the person responsible for the animal, including the person’s name and address; c) sufficient information to identify the animal. |
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act Section 22 CVBC – Duty to Report Animal Abuse and Neglect BCSPCA Duty to Report for Veterinarians Handbook for Veterinarians Assisting with BCSPCA cases |
| Alberta | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Calgary Humane Society 1-403-205-4455; Edmonton Police Animal Cruelty Investigation Unit 1-780-423-4567; SPCA 1-800-455-9003; RCMP; local police | ABVMA Policy: Every registered veterinarian, registered veterinary technologist, permit holder, student and other member of the association: must report to a peace officer as defined in the Animal Protection Act when they have reasonable grounds to believe that an animal is being or has been subjected to abuse or neglect. | Animal Protection Act ABVMA Policy Calgary Humane Society Edmonton Police Service Alberta SPCA |
| Saskatchewan | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan 1-844-382-0002; SPCA; Humane Societies; RCMP; local police | Animal Protection Act: A veterinarian shall, without delay, report to an animal protection officer or agency any event that the veterinarian believes on reasonable grounds is a contravention of sections 3 to 6." [Sections 3-6 describe animal care duties and prohibitions including a prohibition of causing distress.] | Animal Protection Act SVMA Animal Welfare SVMA Suspect Animal Abuse or Neglect? Veterinarians’ Animal Welfare Handbook Animal Cruelty Reporting SaskSPCA |
| Manitoba | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Provincial Animal Care Line 1-888-945-8001; Winnipeg Humane Society Animal Cruelty line 204-982-2028 | Animal Care Act: A veterinarian who believes on reasonable grounds that an animal has been or is subject to neglect or abuse that compromises the animal's health, other than in the course of an accepted activity, shall promptly (a) report his or her belief to the director; and (b) provide any information respecting the matter that the director requests. | Animal Care Act MVMA Code of Ethics Manitoba Agriculture Winnipeg Humane Society |
| Ontario | Yes | No | Yes[ii] | Yes | Ontario Animal Protection Call Centre 1-833-926-4625 | PAWS Act: Every veterinarian or other person prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council who has reasonable grounds to believe that an animal is being abused, being subject to undue physical or psychological hardship, privation or neglect, including by participating in fights with other animals, or is being trained to fight another animal shall report his or her belief in accordance with the regulations, if any, to an animal welfare inspector. | Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act College of Veterinarians Ontario Position |
| Québec | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Montreal SPCA 514-735-2711; MAPAQ 1-844-264-6289 | AWSA: A veterinary surgeon or an agrologist who has reasonable cause to believe that an animal is being or has been subjected to abuse or mistreatment or that it is or has been in distress must, without delay, report their observations to the Minister and provide the Minister with (1) the name and address of the owner or custodian of the animal, if the information is known; and (2) the animal’s identification. |
Animal Welfare and Safety Act Guide de Signalement Obligatoire Pour Les Médecins Vétérinaires Et Les Agronomes Loi Sur Le Bien-Être Et La Sécurité De L’Animal (French only) Montréal SPCA Québec Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources |
| New Brunswick | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | NB SPCA hotline 1-877-722-1522 | SPCA Act: In the course of providing veterinary medicine to an animal, a veterinarian who believes on reasonable grounds that the animal has not been provided with food, water, shelter and care in accordance with this Act and the regulations, shall without delay (a) report his or her belief to an animal protection officer, and (b) provide any information respecting the matter that the animal protection officer requests. |
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act NB SPCA |
| Nova Scotia | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Companion animals: NS SPCA 1-888-703-7722; Large animals: Nova Scotia Department of the Environment – Inspection, Compliance and Enforcement Section 1-877-936-8476 | APA: Every veterinarian who, in the course of practising veterinary medicine, has found reasonable grounds to believe that an animal has been or is subject to neglect or abuse that threatens the animal's health, other than in the circumstances described in subsection 21(4), shall report that belief to the Society. | Animal Protection Act NSVMA How Do I Report Animal Cruelty? NS SPCA |
| Prince Edward Island | Yes | No | Yes | No | PEI Humane Society 902-892-1190 | AWA: A veterinarian shall, without delay, report to the Director any event that the veterinarian believes on reasonable grounds is a contravention of sections 3 to 6. [Improper care and treatment, torture, training or permitting animals to fight, cosmetic surgery] | PEI Animal Welfare Act PEIVMA Bylaws 25.1.5 PEI Humane Society |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Chief Veterinary Officer 1-709- 729-6879; RNC; RCMP 709-729-6879; SPCA; local police | AHP Act: (1) A veterinarian who, in the course of practising veterinary medicine, believes on reasonable grounds that an animal has been or is subject to neglect or abuse that compromises the animal's health, other than in the course of an accepted activity, shall promptly (a) report his or her belief to the Chief Veterinary Officer; and (b) provide information respecting the matter that the Chief Veterinary Officer requests. |
Animal Health and Protection Act SPCA St. John’s |
| Nunavut | No | No | No | No | RCMP; local police | N/A | Dog Act |
| Northwest Territories | No | No | No | No | RCMP; local police | N/A | Dog Act |
| Yukon Territory | No | No | No | No | Animal Protection Officer 1-800-661-0408 | N/A | Animal Protection and Control Act |
[i] Several of the provincial animal cruelty statutes reviewed do not expressly refer to reporting immunity for Registered Veterinary Technologists (RVTs). However, the companion statutes that regulate the veterinary profession recognize RVTs working under the direction of licensed veterinarians, setting out permissible activities. Immunity may be reasonably inferred as flowing through the veterinarian and veterinary delegation to RVTs in such provinces. If immunity is not expressly articulated or can’t be legally inferred, an RVT would have the same status as any member of the public filing an animal cruelty complaint with an animal welfare inspectorate.
[ii] According to the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act (2019), “no welfare inspector, veterinarian, member of the Board or person acting in accordance with section 34 is personally liable for any act done in good faith…”