Montreal, May 11^th 2017 – In response to the Quebec government’s recent introduction of Bill 128, which includes province-wide Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL), the Montreal SPCA, supported by Athletes for Animals, has launched My Dog My Family, a campaign aiming to stop provincial BSL – a proven-to-fail measure that will needlessly sentence to death tens of thousands of innocent dogs and puppies. As a united team of professional athletes with a shared passion for rescuing and protecting the welfare of homeless pets, Athletes for Animals has decided to join the Montreal SPCA in its efforts.

“We have already received incredible support, both locally and internationally, for our fight against municipal BSL – which we have now taken to the courts. However, we are now facing another, even bigger threat to the animals and people of this province which would force shelters to put to death innocent dogs and puppies regardless of their health or behaviour,” states Alanna Devine, Director of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal SPCA. “We are thankful to Athletes for Animals for supporting our campaign, and we invite the public to join us in speaking out for our dogs and families across the province who would be affected by BSL.”

“As cities across the United States are reversing their breed specific legislation and replacing it with progressive and effective legislation, David and I are completely stunned by Quebec’s regressive plans to adopt BSL, ” explains Kelly Backes, co-founder of Athletes for Animals, with husband David Backes, a professional NHL hockey player for the Boston Bruins. “Throughout the duration of the campaign, we’re eager to reveal the Athlete Ambassadors, representing professional sports teams across the North America, who have decided to participate and support the Montreal SPCA’s fight against the province-wide BSL.”

For now, Bill 128 targets American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, Rottweilers, and any dog resulting from a mix of these breeds. But it also gives the government the ability to, unilaterally and on a whim, add other breeds to its blacklist. Who will be next?

Now, more than ever, we need the public to get involved by visiting www.mydogmyfamily.ca to take the following actions:

• Sign the Montreal SPCA’s petition and letters addressed to Minister Coiteux and members of the Commission on Institutions;
• Join us to walk against injustice and animal cruelty on June 11^th;
• Share the #MyDogMyFamily campaign on social media using a photo of your dog and family;
• Contact your provincial elected officials to speak out against Bill 128
• Share your comments on Bill 128 with the National Assembly

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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.