2023 Annual Report
Protecting animals from neglect, abuse and exploitation; advocating for their interests and ensuring their well-being; raising public awareness and helping to foster compassion for all sentient beings: this has been the mission of the Montreal SPCA for over 150 years. This work is the cornerstone of our organization and it guided our daily actions throughout 2023.
Our teams continue to go above and beyond to ensure that the Montreal SPCA is a safe haven for all the animals who set paw here. A brief overview of all the work we accomplished in 2023 is available through this annual report.
Thank you for your generosity
The SPCA is extremely grateful to its donors for their generosity. Without all of them, we would not have been able to ensure the well-being of the more than 12,921 sentient beings who passed through our shelter.
The Montreal SPCA is a registered charity that relies heavily on donations from the public to fulfill its mission (2023 contributions: 68% of revenues; 2022 contributions: 69.4% of revenues; 2021 contributions: 70.1% of revenues; 2020 contributions: 63.4% of revenues; 2019 contributions: 60.6% of revenues).
In 2023, we were able to pursue our mission thanks to the generosity of our supporters.
The Neonatal Program
Orphaned kittens and puppies need constant attention and care: during their first weeks of life, they must be kept warm and individually hand-fed every three hours. To give them the proper care, we created the Neonatal Program, which allows us to train foster families and provide them with everything they need to raise these little fur balls.
The Palliative Program
Our Palliative Care Program was created to ensure that even animals suffering from a terminal illness have the chance to live in a welcoming home. We make their last days as comfortable and peaceful as possible by placing them in permanent foster homes and providing them with all the necessary support and medical care.
Giving Back to the Community
Thanks to donations, we are able to help not only the animals in our care at the shelter, but also animals living with vulnerable people. Our special shelter program helps people in unstable situations get back on their feet while we provide a temporary home for their animals, and our food bank distributes food to animals in need.
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Obtaining intervener status in a dispute brought before the Tribunal administratif du logement, challenging the validity of clauses prohibiting animals in residential leases (2023).
Implementation of a pilot project allowing leashed and muzzled dogs to travel on the Montreal metro, following our vast “Fido in the Metro” citizen mobilization campaign (2022).
Province-wide ban on gas chambers, cat declawing and other surgeries of convenience on companion animals as a result of our lobbying efforts and awareness campaigns (2022).
Organization of the very first electoral debates on animal protection at the federal (2021), municipal (2021) and provincial (2022) levels.
Montreal’s ban on horse-drawn carriages and adoption of the most progressive animal bylaw in the entire province, as a result of pressure exerted by our team (2018).
Successful fight against legislation targeting certain dog breeds at the municipal (Montreal) and provincial levels, including a lawsuit against the City of Montreal, sustained government relations efforts, as well as large-scale awareness campaigns (2016-2018).
Adoption of a new provision in the Civil Code of Québec recognizing animals as sentient beings (art. 898.1) and adoption of the Animal Welfare and Safety Act, the first provincial law entirely devoted to animal protection in Quebec, in response to our “Animals are not Things” campaign (2015).
