Montreal, February 4, 2015 – Yesterday, the Montreal SPCA seized more than 36 cats and 57 dogs from a breeding facility located in the South Shore region outside of Montreal. Following an investigation by the Montreal SPCA, the decision was made to seize the animals under the Animal Health Protection Act as the animals were being housed in conditions which violated the Act and its regulations.
The seized cats (primarily Cornish Rexes) and dogs (mainly small breeds) were bred for commercial purposes. The animals were safely removed from the premises and are currently in the custody of the Montreal SPCA, where they are receiving the attention and veterinary care that they require.
The Quebec Minister of Agriculture, Pierre Paradis, recently announced that he will be introducing a bill that would make significant improvements to the Animal Health Protection Act and its accompanying regulations.
“Seizures such as this one demonstrate that puppy and kitten mills constitute an ongoing problem in Quebec and that more needs to be done to regulate commercial breeding in this province” said Alanna Devine, Director of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal SPCA. “Minister Paradis’ bill represents a unique opportunity to effect real change for animals in this province and we, at the Montreal SPCA, look forward to working with the Minister and his team towards this goal.”
If you witness any incident of cruelty or animal neglect, please report it to the Montreal SPCA inspection department by leaving a message at: (514) 735-2711 ext. 2230, or sending an email to inspection@spca.com. In case of emergency, please call (514) 735-2711, extension 0.
Animal abuse or neglect can also be reported to the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation by calling 1 844 ANIMAUX or by sending an email at: centraledesignalement@mapaq.gouv.qc.ca.
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Media contact: Anita Kapuscinska, Media Relations Coordinator, Montreal SPCA, 514-226-3932, or anitak@spca.com.
About the Montreal SPCA Founded in Montreal in 1869, we were the first humane society in Canada and our mission is to:
- protect animals against negligence, abuse, and exploitation;
- represent their interests and ensure their well-being;
- raise public awareness and help develop compassion for all living beings.
For many years, the Montreal SPCA has been working hard with the three levels of government (municipal, provincial and federal) to improve laws on animal protection. In 2014, our inspection service investigated 1,217 new complaints and conducted the inspection of 3,012 animals, all species combined. A total of 101 animals were seized as a result of their investigations and several criminal prosecutions or charges have been brought.
For more information about the Montreal SPCA, please visit our website at www.spca.com
