Press release – For immediate release
Montréal, January 11, 2022 – Almost a year ago, the Montreal SPCA’s Investigations Division seized “Angie”, a young, large-sized dog from her owner. The dog was found in a deplorable state in a blood-soaked apartment by animal protection officers from the Montreal SPCA’s Investigations Division. When they arrived, the officers found a lethargic animal with a punctured eye, nearly half of her teeth broken and an open wound on her skull. Severely injured with multiple fractures, the dog was immediately seized and rushed to the Centre Vétérinaire Laval where she was provided with emergency care.
In January of 2020, animal protection officers of the Montreal SPCA’s Investigations Division opened a criminal investigation in response to a report of abuse filed by a citizen. Over the following months, they collected sufficient evidence to recommend that criminal charges by the Montreal Municipal Court’s Direction des poursuites pénales et criminelles. The investigation was featured in a report by RAD.
On December 7, 2021, at the Montreal Municipal Court, Angie’s owner, a man in his twenties, pleaded guilty to three charges:
- Between December 10, 2020 and January 10, 2021, of wilfully failing to provide suitable and adequate care to a dog;
- On January 10, at approximately 4:00 a.m., of willfully causing unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to a dog;
- On January 10, at approximately 3:00 p.m., for willfully causing unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to a dog.
On each count, the defendant was sentenced to the following prison terms, to be served concurrently with each other:
- One month;
- Two months;
- Seven months on.
The man is now prohibited from having the custody or control of or residing in the same premises as an animal for a period of 15 years.
The accused is now serving one of the most significant sentences on record for animal cruelty in Quebec, in large part thanks to the animal protection officers of the Montreal SPCA’s Investigations Division as well as the complainants who witnessed Angie’s abuse and decided to report it. “However, this sentence is clearly below those handed down for similar acts in other Canadian provinces,” says Chantal Cayer, Director of the Montreal SPCA’s Investigations Office.
As for Angie, after receiving numerous medical treatments, she was adopted by a loving family and now spends her time playing in the snow, sleeping on the couch and enjoying cuddles from her adoptive parents.
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Source: Montreal SPCA
Media contact:
Anita Kapuscinska
Senior Consultant, Corporate Development and Media Relations
514-656-2760
anitak@spca.com
About the Montreal SPCA’s Investigations Division –
- The animal protection officers of the Montreal SPCA’s Investigations Division are peace officers appointed by the minister de la Sécurité publique du Québec and subject to the Police Act. They are mandated to enforce the animal cruelty and neglect provisions of the Criminal Code, as well as provincial animal protection legislation, namely the Animal Welfare and Safety Act and the Regulation respecting the safety and welfare of cats and dogs.
- The Investigations Division team consists of a director, two managers, two investigators, five officers and two dispatchers.
- Each year, the Montreal SPCA’s Investigations Division receives thousands of complaints and reports. In 2021 alone, 1,898 new investigations were opened and over 4,832 animals of all species were the subject of investigations or inspections by our staff. A total of 84 animals were removed from custody and 17 convictions were obtained.
