Manitoba is requesting immediate compliance from animal repellent vendors when selling products like pepper spray that could be used to injure and intimidate people, Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) Minister Stan Struthers announced.
“Anyone who sells animal repellents has to take additional steps to protect the public from the misuse of these products,” said Struthers. “These changes were designed to better regulate the sale of pepper spray and we will continue to work with retailers to ensure that they are complying with the changes.”
Manitoba is the first province to regulate animal repellent and this regulation applies to all repellents that contain the active ingredient capsaicin including pepper spray, bear spray and dog spray. Since Jan. 1, 2009, all vendors have been required to:
• be licensed by the provincial government,
• keep accurate sales records and submit these documents to government on an annual basis,
• limit public access to these products, and
• pay a $50 annual licence fee.
In 2009, 25 vendor licenses were issued. MAFRI staff visited licensed businesses in the spring of 2009 to provide information and solicit compliance and will continue to work with these businesses to get the required reports filed or take corrective action as required, the minister said.
“The Winnipeg Police Service continues to see the illegal use of bear spray on the streets of our city. We support the province in their efforts to curb the sale of animal repellents to individuals who purchase them for these purposes,” said Winnipeg Police Service Chief Keith McCaskill.
“Our members have endured recent attacks from individuals armed with bear spray and, luckily, other then the immediate medical concerns which are treatable, tragedy was averted. Do legitimate businesses really want to have their company name attached to a tragedy if perhaps our officers aren’t so lucky in the future?”
asked Marc Pellerin, vice-president of the Winnipeg Police Association.
Fines will be handed out for the following violations:
• selling animal repellents containing capsaicin without a licence;
• failing to comply with licence requirements (for example, storage, display, etc.); and
• failing to maintain appropriate records.
Fines for individuals are $278 and $2,324 for incorporated entities. For more serious offences, prosecution may result in higher fines and/or jail time.
“There are many people who rely on pepper spray when they travel in the backcountry and this government encourages all Manitobans to safely enjoy the natural beauty of our province,” said Struthers. “The actions we are taking are aimed at preventing the use of animal repellent as a weapon, which is a danger to police offers and all Manitobans and is illegal under the criminal code.”
