This conference has been held annually since 2015, providing networking and professional development opportunities for Crown prosecutors, attorneys and allied professionals across Canada. The goal of the conference is to facilitate the sharing of information and resources about animal abuse and the Violence Link (the relationship between animal abuse and human abuse) in order to ensure that crimes against animals are prosecuted effectively and efficiently.

The 2021 conference hit record-breaking attendance and our roster of speakers delivered up-to-date educational information that will assist prosecutors and allied professionals when coming across an animal abuse file.

Some of the session speakers and highlights of this year’s conference include:

• Sophie Gaillard, Acting Executive Director and Director of Animal Advocacy and Legal Affairs at the Montreal SPCA, who will share what was learned from the Saint-Édouard Zoo investigation, which resulted in the seizure of more than 200 animals ranging from lions, tigers, and zebras to bears, wolves, kangaroos and primates;
• Co-Director of the Centre for Forensic Research and Forensic Entomologist Dr. Gail S. Anderson who will explain how insects can be used to estimate the elapsed time since the death of an animal as well as other factors about a crime scene in relation to wounds and whether a body has been disturbed;
• Phil Bogdanoff, attorney and nationally recognized continuing legal education speaker, will return this year with Tiger King II, the highly anticipated sequel to last year’s presentation that will review the issues the “Tiger King” raised on appeal, the appellate court decision and resentencing, along with how wildlife offenses can be joined with non-wildlife offenses and a review of Season Two of Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness; and
• Tips on navigating animal abuse files, working with law enforcement, better understanding of how animal enforcement is regulated in Canada, and more!

Attendees can expect to enjoy professional development opportunities while learning from industry experts and professionals during interactive presentations.