Montreal, October 26^th 2017 – Municipal services are an integral part of a comprehensive solution to ensure the welfare and safety of animals and citizens alike. With municipal elections fast approaching, the Montreal SPCA is asking for clear commitments from aspiring Montreal mayors regarding investment into responsible animal services and the opening date of the municipal animal center.

The animal services offered by the City of Montreal should prioritize animal welfare and help resolve the pet overpopulation problem in an ethical and effective manner based on best practices and expert advice. Municipal regulations should also seek to hold citizens more accountable and responsible for both domestic animals and wildlife.

Over the years, the Montreal SPCA has been managing animal services for the majority of Montreal’s boroughs. These services include the care, housing, veterinary treatments and placement of stray, lost, and abandoned domestic animals and wildlife. Although the SPCA is partially compensated for these services, the organization relies heavily on the generosity of its donors, who give thousands of dollars each year to make the provision of these services possible.

The Montreal SPCA is asking for the following:

1. Greater investment in animal services
   
   Calgary, a Canadian city recognized for the quality of its animal services, invested 127 million dollars into its animal services in 2016. Montreal, on the other hand, set aside approximately just 1.29 million dollars for the sector. This lack of funds from the City of Montreal is currently compensated in part by the Montreal SPCA’s donors. If Montreal allowed for a greater investment, citizens and animals would be better served, and the Montreal SPCA would be able to focus more on its core mission of animal welfare through its sterilization, inspection, enforcement and outreach activities.

   Surprising figures – the commitment per capita in Montreal in 2016 for animal services was $0.76, while the City of Calgary invested $14.87 per person for the same year.

2. Respect the planned date for the opening of the new Montreal animal services centerAnnounced in 2011 and postponed several times, the opening date for the city’s new animal services center, Centre de Services Animaliers Municipal (CSAM), has been pushed back once again to 2019. The Montreal SPCA therefore demands a firm commitment from mayoral candidates to ensure that the center is open and functional by the end of the next term. The management of animal services is a municipal responsibility. Besides Calgary, the City of Toronto offers exemplary animal services.

“We already know the candidates’ views on horse-drawn carriages in the city, breed specific legislation (BSL) and even rodeos, but we also want clear and concrete answers about the City’s responsibility towards animals before November 5th,” explains Elise Desaulniers, Executive Director at the Montreal SPCA. “We demand a commitment from the parties to invest more resources in animal services and to ensure the opening of the new municipal animal center within the next mandate. The Montreal SPCA, its donors, and the citizens of Montreal are waiting for answers,” she adds.

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Media contact: Anita Kapuscinska, Communications Manager, Montreal SPCA, 514 656-2760, or anitak@spca.com.

About the Montreal SPCA
Founded in Montreal in 1869, we were the first animal welfare 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 more information about the Montreal SPCA, please visit our website at www.spca.com.