Press release — for immediate release
Lost Companion Animals: As Alarming and Issue as Surrenders
Montreal SPCA to distribute 30,000 ID tags this week
Montréal, February 19, 2025 – The Montreal SPCA has been working for several years to address the root causes of surrenders, which have been on the rise since 2020. But, did you know that, every year, the organization takes in almost as many stray animals as surrenders? That’s why the SPCA is now launching an awareness campaign to encourage people to microchip their companion animals and have them wear an ID tag.
Earlier this week, the Montreal SPCA sent out an impressive 30,000 ID tags to its donors to thank them for their invaluable support. But, above all, the organization wanted to give animal lovers a little something that could make all the difference if their furry friends were to get lost. And, for a limited time, anyone who donates $19 or more to the Montreal SPCA, by visiting spca.com/en, will also receive an ID tag!
“Last year, of the 3,082 stray animals the SPCA took in, only 360 were reunited with their families,” said Laurence Massé, Executive Director of the Montreal SPCA. “The 2,722 unclaimed animals spent an average of 18 days at the shelter (12 days for cats, 11 for dogs and 30 for rabbits). What breaks our hearts is knowing that most of them could have gone back to their homes had they been properly identified,” she added.
The SPCA in numbers: 2024 at a glance
- Surrendered animals: 3,192
- Stray animals: 3,082
- Animals brought in by emergency services: 1,827
- Stray dogs reunited with their families: 217 (49%)
- Stray cats reunited with their families: 134 (6%)
- Stray rabbits reunited with their families: 2 (3%)
- Number of veterinary examinations: 22,936
- Number of sterilizations: 6,090
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Source: Montreal SPCA www.spca.com/en/
Media information:
Tök communications 514-247-0526
Marie-Hélène Avon, mariehelene@tokcommunications.ca
About the Montreal SPCA
Founded in Montreal in 1869, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (now known simply as the Montreal SPCA) was the first animal welfare organization in Canada. The SPCA has come a long way since: it is now the largest animal welfare organization in Quebec and speaks on behalf of animals wherever there is ignorance, cruelty, exploitation or neglect.
