Montreal, QC – February 28th 2017 – This week marks Quebec’s National Animal Sterilization Week: an event which aims to raise awareness among pet parents about the benefits and importance of spaying or neutering their pets. The Montreal SPCA has good reason to spread the word about this event since PetSmart Charities of Canada, one of the nation’s leading funders of animal welfare, recently awarded the animal welfare organization a $100,000 grant to support their spay/neuter efforts.
The grant will help fund the Mittens-Montreal SPCA Targeted Permanent Sterilization Clinic where Gabrielle Carrière, D.V.M, is the chief veterinarian. The clinic is dedicated to helping to address Quebec’s pet overpopulation problem by offering accessible sterilization service for cats and dogs whose guardians have limited financial resources. The funds will also be used to help low-income families to spay or neuter dogs who may be specifically targeted by the City of Montreal based on their size, weight and/or appearance.
Montreal’s recently passed by-law is quite broad in its definition of prohibited dogs, meaning that a large percentage of medium and large sized dogs in Montreal could fall under the by-law and be required to be spayed/neutered, registered with the municipality and more.
Me Alanna Devine, Director of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal SPCA expressed her thanks for the recent grant. “We are delighted by the generosity of PetSmart Charities of Canada. These funds come at a very critical time and will certainly contribute to our important work. As we continue our efforts to promote safer, kinder communities, these funds will help us save countless of innocent lives.”
“At PetSmart Charities of Canada, we’re committed to ending pet homelessness and saving the lives of pets. One of the best ways we can do that is by supporting local spay and neuter initiatives by leading animal welfare organizations like the Montreal SPCA. This grant of $100,000 will help to provide more accessible, affordable spay and neuter services to all pets in need without placing a financial strain on pet parents,” said David Haworth, D.V.M., Ph.D. and President of PetSmart Charities of Canada.
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Media contacts:
- Carrie Trembinski, PR Manager, PetSmart Charities of Canada, 289-313-6332, ctrembinski@petsmartcharities.org
- Anita Kapuscinska, Communications Manager, Montreal SPCA: 514-656-2760, anitak@spca.com,
PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered charity dedicated to saving the lives of homeless pets in Canada. Each year more than 25,000 cats and dogs find forever homes through our adoption program in nearly all PetSmart stores across Canada and our sponsored adoption events. A leading funder of animal welfare, PetSmart Charities of Canada has granted more than $10 million to help pets in need, with a focus on spay/neuter services that help communities solve pet overpopulation. For more information, visit www.petsmartcharities.ca
The Montreal SPCA, founded in 1869, was the first animal welfare society in Canada. Their mission is to: protect animals against negligence, abuse, and exploitation; represent their interests and ensure their well-being, and 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.
