A win for the Montreal SPCA Investigations Division
One night in October 2022, we visited a dog breeding facility outside Montréal. The Montreal SPCA Investigations Division had received a report that several dogs were being kept in poor conditions. When we arrived, we found several dogs in a pitiful state, including orphaned newborns in a tub next to a wood-burning stove with the door open. Not only was this installation unsuitable for babies, it was also a fire hazard.
Armed with a search warrant, we removed 17 dogs and puppies from this unsanitary site and took them to the shelter for examination. The newborns were cold and were immediately hospitalized. Sadly, two of them did not survive.
Breeder sentenced
On December 21, more than a year after the dogs were seized, the judgment was handed down. The breeder’s sentence included:
- a three-year ban on raising and breeding animals,
- a five-year ban on owning, keeping or controlling an animal, or living in the same premises as an animal, and
- the obligation to pay $1,000 to the Montreal SPCA.
During the investigation, all the dogs were entrusted to our dedicated foster families and received the care they needed. When the sentence was given, our protégés were spayed or neutered before being adopted by our foster families or their relatives. This was the case with Gustave, who is now able to enjoy life:
“He follows me absolutely everywhere, no matter what I’m doing! He has his coats, his carry bag, his life jacket and his cooling jacket for summer. Gustave is anything but a lapdog. We couldn’t be happier, although the 15 months of uncertainty [during the investigation] have been difficult. Now, though, everything is looking up!”
—Gustave’s family
Caring for all the dogs seized on legal grounds requires the collaboration of many people. This is a long-term team effort, made possible thanks to the support of donors like you.
