Montreal, June 9, 2014 – Again this year, the Montreal SPCA is taking action to help stop pet abandonment and is asking everyone to support our campaign “Keeping Families Together” against no-pet clauses in residential leases.
Every summer, around moving day, thousands of Quebec residents are forced to make the gut-wrenching decision to part with a beloved pet, whom they consider a member of their family, in order to find rental housing that meets their needs. When you know the alarming statistics regarding pet abandonment in Quebec – the worst province in Canada when it comes to animal protection– you can’t help but want to do something about it!
Together, we can change things! By joining our campaign “Keeping Families Together”, you are taking action to change the law that forces thousands of pets to be abandoned in Quebec. Here’s what YOU can do:
- Visit our microsite www.stoppetabandonment.com to take position by signing and sharing;
- Send this message to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy;
- Send us your story by email at: stop@spca.com.
The no-pet clauses in residential leases are devastating, not only to the families who find themselves unable to keep their pets, but for the animals themselves. “Due to these clauses, during the moving season, the number of animals coming into the Montreal SPCA shoots up from around 600 to 1,600 animals per month – that’s almost three times the number of abandoned animals”, explains Alanna Devine, Director of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal SPCA.
Currently, the Quebec law allows landlords to penalize all pet owners who are looking for affordable rental housing, regardless of how their animals actually behave. This disproportionately affects low-income families, who have more limited opportunities for housing. Faced with a similar problem, France, Belgium and Ontario ruled that clauses prohibiting animals in residential leases were unreasonable and unfair, and so they were declared null and void. The Montreal SPCA believes it is time for Quebec to follow these examples.
We invite everyone join the Montreal SPCA campaign “Keeping Families Together” and help us stop pet abandonment! Let’s take action to change things!
To learn more about the current situation regarding no-pet clauses in residential leases, see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section by clicking here.
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Media contact: Anita Kapuscinska, Media Relations Coordinator, Montreal SPCA, 514-226-3932, or anitak@spca.com.
About the Montreal SPCA
Founded in Montreal in 1869, we were the first humane 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.
