Montreal, June 14th, 2018 – The Montreal SPCA welcomes the adoption of the City of Montreal’s new animal care and control by-law, which was announced today. The new by-law includes several important measures that animal welfare experts have long been advocating for. These include:
- The regulation of the sale of animals in pet stores
- The mandatory sterilization of all dogs, cats and rabbits unless precluded by medical reasons or if they are registered with a recognized breed association
- A prohibition on dog or cat ownership for individuals who have been convicted of animal cruelty or neglect
- Measures promoting city-wide trap-neuter-release-maintain (TNRM) programs
Additionally, the by-law, implements breed-neutral measures to address dog bites and dangerous dogs. The by-law emphasizes measures to ensure responsible animal ownership and to prevent dogs from developing aggressive behaviours by, for example, prohibiting the permanent chaining of dogs and the use of choke, prong and shock collars.
Prior to adopting the by-law, the City held numerous public consultations and also consulted with experts, including the Montreal SPCA. “We are pleased that a well thought out and evidence-based animal by-law is about to be adopted in Montreal”, said Alanna Devine, lawyer and Director of Advocacy at the Montreal SPCA. “This by-law will truly help protect the animals, as well as the citizens, of Montreal and its adoption marks the beginning of a new era for our city”.
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Media contact: Anita Kapuscinska, Montreal SPCA, 514 656-2760, or anitak@spca.com.
About the Montreal SPCA
Founded in Montreal in 1869, we were the first animal-welfare society in Canada and our mission is to:
- protect animals from neglect, abuse and exploitation
- represent their interests and ensure their well-being
- raise public awareness and help develop compassion for all sentient beings
For more information about the Montreal SPCA, please visit our website at www.spca.com.
