About the ACRB

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Introduction

The Animal Care Review Board (ACRB) is an independent, quasi-judicial agency. The ACRB resolves disputes and conducts hearings regarding animal welfare, including hearing appeals of orders and decisions of the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector and other animal welfare inspectors.

Powers of the ACRB

Under the authority of the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019, the ACRB can:

• Confirm, revoke or modify a compliance order issued by an animal welfare inspector
• Order that an animal removed by an animal welfare inspector or that was taken into the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector's care be returned to the owner or custodian
• Confirm, revoke or vary a statement of account served by the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector
• Order that the whole or any part of the cost to the owner or custodian of an animal of complying with an order be paid by the Minister to the owner or custodian
• Order that the whole or any part of the cost to the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector of providing necessaries to an animal be paid by the owner or custodian of the animal to the Minister of Finance.

When reviewing appeals and applications, the welfare of any animal involved is the ACRB's main priority.

Chief Animal Welfare Inspector

The Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 establishes a Chief Animal Welfare Inspector, as well as one or more Deputy Chief Animal Welfare Inspectors, appointed by the Solicitor General. The Chief Animal Welfare Inspector is responsible for:

• The appointment, oversight and handling of complaints about animal welfare inspectors; and
• The provision of necessaries and care to animals in their possession.

Provincial animal welfare inspectors are directly accountable to the Chief Animal Welfare inspector, who is in turn accountable to the Solicitor General. If you have a complaint or compliment about an inspector, please send an email to animalwelfareservices@ontario.ca.

Call 1-833-9-ANIMAL if an animal is in distress or being neglected. This includes animals that are injured, in pain, sick, suffering or abused, or lack proper care, water, food or shelter.