Earlier today, the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) released its draft regulation on the welfare of companion animals and equines. The new regulation includes major advances for animals, including:
- A ban on non-therapeutic surgeries, including declawing in cats and tail docking, ear cropping, and devocalization in dogs
- A prohibition on the use of gas chambers for euthanasia
- A ban on the use of prong collars for dogs
- New and stricter requirements regarding exercise, socialization, and enrichment for dogs and cats
- Enhanced oversight of breeding, including a limit of 50 cats or dogs that can be kept by one person, a minimum age for breeding, a maximum number of litters per year and a mandatory veterinary consultation prior to breeding
- An obligation to provide daily enrichment to cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs and companion pigs
- A requirement that all owners of equines adhere to the National Code of Practice
The Montreal SPCA has been advocating for most of these changes for many years.
“We applaud this proposed regulation, which marks the end of many unacceptable practices, such as the use of gas chambers, declawing and other non-therapeutic surgeries. The regulation would also put in place stricter requirements for breeding, which we hope will eradicate large-scale intensive cat and dog breeding operations in Quebec,” said Sophie Gaillard, Director of Animal Advocacy and Legal Affairs at the Montreal SPCA. “However, certain important elements are missing from the regulation, such as a ban on the permanent chaining of dog. We are also disappointed that animals used in research will not benefit from these new protections.”
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Source: Montreal SPCA
Media contact: Anita Kapuscinska, Senior Consultant, Corporate Development and Media Relations, Montréal SPCA, 514-656-2760, anitak@spca.com.
About the Montréal SPCA – Founded in 1869, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (now known simply as the Montréal SPCA) was the first animal-welfare organization in Canada. Today, the Montreal SPCA is the largest animal protection organization in Quebec, speaking on behalf of animals wherever there is ignorance, cruelty, exploitation, or neglect.
