Destruction or Disruption of the Natural Environment
SPCA advocates for an animal welfare impact assessment for any activity that may cause negative welfare impacts to wildlife, including damage to the environment itself, e.g., the pollution of land, air, or water.
SPCA is concerned with the welfare of all wild animals and opposes human-made changes to the environment that may cause severe and avoidable negative impacts to wild animals through direct interference or the destruction of their habitats.
When human activities have the potential to negatively impact the welfare of wild animals, there is a duty to ensure that these actions are conducted in a manner which minimises the injury, pain, or distress to animals. Natural resource extraction (e.g., logging and mining) or constructing new developments (e.g., housing and infrastructure) should incorporate animal welfare impact assessment tools to minimise welfare harms to wild animals.
