Press release – for immediate release
Montréal, September 6, 2022 – As part of the provincial election campaign, the Montreal SPCA, Quebec’s leading animal advocacy group, is asking the political parties to take a stand on three priority issues and is providing them with a forum to present their views on these matters at the first-ever provincial electoral debate on animal protection. The debate will be held on Wednesday, September 14 at 7:00 p.m. and broadcast live on the Montreal SPCA’s Facebook page. A toolkit has also been put together for citizens who wish to use the election campaign as an opportunity to raise these issues with candidates in their riding and help promote provincial-level legislation and regulations that protect animals.
During this election period, the Montreal SPCA is asking the parties to commit to:
- Guaranteeing fair access to housing for people living with animal companions. In June, a petition to this effect was submitted to the National Assembly and received support from over 33,000 citizens.
- Enacting a ban on fur farms, a dying industry in Quebec, whose practices are inconsistent with animal welfare and whose social acceptability is declining.
- Making it illegal to keep dogs tethered. It is still legal in Quebec to keep dogs tethered outside, almost permanently and for their entire life. However, over 35,000 Quebecers said they were against the permanent tethering of dogs on the Montreal SPCA website in the event of a 2015 campaign on the subject.
“In 2022, Quebecers are calling for better animal protection, and this fall’s election provides an opportunity for the parties to make key commitments on these issues,” notes Sophie Gaillard, Director of Animal Advocacy and Legal Affairs and Acting Executive Director of the Montreal SPCA.
Animal protection is very much a concern for Quebec voters. According to a Léger poll conducted on behalf of the Montreal SPCA during the last provincial election campaign in 2018, 72% of voters felt that the parties should include animal welfare and animal protection among their campaign commitments.
“By providing a complete citizen’s kit, the SPCA also hopes to empower the public to actively contribute to the campaign and get involved in advancing animal welfare and protection in Quebec,” says Ms Gaillard.
The many Quebecers concerned with animal protection are invited to attend the first-ever provincial election debate on animal issues on Wednesday, September 14th at 7 p.m. live on the Montreal SPCA’s Facebook page. The different parties will have the opportunity to address these issues in a discussion moderated by journalist Vanessa Destiné.
Participants include:
- Claude Lefrançois
(candidate for Québec solidaire in the riding of Laporte) - Jonathan Marleau
(candidate for the Quebec Liberal Party in the riding of Maurice-Richard) - Sylvie Tanguay (candidate for the Parti Québécois in the riding of St-François)
“This historic provincial debate will allow voters to learn about each party’s position on animal-related issues,” said Sophie Gaillard. “With the law now recognizing animals as sentient beings and with more than one in two households in Quebec now living with a companion animal, these issues are undeniably significant to the election campaign.”
All provincial parties recognized by the Chief Electoral Officer with an MNA elected to the most recent legislature were invited to participate in the debate.
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Source: Montreal SPCA
Media contact: Anita Kapuscinska, Senior Consultant, Corporate Development and Media Relations, Montréal SPCA, 514-656-2760, anitak@spca.com.
About the Montreal SPCA – Founded in 1869, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (now known simply as the Montreal SPCA) was the first animal-welfare organization in Canada. Today, the Montreal SPCA is the largest animal protection organization in Quebec, speaking on behalf of animals wherever there is ignorance, cruelty, exploitation, or neglect.
