4Montreal, August 4, 2015 – Last Thursday, the Montreal SPCA seized over 550 exotic birds from a pet store and breeding facility in Montreal. Following an investigation by the Montreal SPCA’s inspection department, the decision was made to seize the animals under the Criminal Code as the birds were lacking critical care.

The seized birds were being kept for sale, many of them having been caught in the wild in other countries and subsequently imported into Canada. Unfortunately, several birds were already deceased, while the remaining animals were safely removed from the premises and are currently in the custody of the Montreal SPCA, where they are receiving the attention and veterinary care that they require. Please note that these birds are not available for adoption. As they are under seizure, they still belong to their original owner.

Exotic birds, such as the ones seized by the Montreal SPCA on Thursday, still lack adequate legal protection in Quebec. Though the Montreal SPCA is pleased by the proposed legislative amendments set out in Bill 54, An Act to Improve the Legal Situation of Animals, which was presented on June 5th to the National Assembly by Pierre Paradis, Quebec’s Minister of Agriculture, important amendments still need to be made, so that all species kept in captivity are protected. Indeed, under the current version of the bill, certain animals, such as the exotic birds from this seizure, as well as captive wildlife in zoos or breeding facilities, still fall outside the ambit of provincial animal welfare legislation. To read more about the Montreal SPCA’s recommended amendments to Bill 54, please click here.

“Cases such as this one demonstrate that birds, and many other species of exotic animals that are regularly bought and sold in this province, and who have complex physiological and behavioral needs, require basic protection under our provincial animal welfare legislation. We will therefore be continuing our efforts to ensure that all animals, including exotic animals and wildlife in captivity, are adequately protected in Quebec.” said Alanna Devine, Director of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal SPCA. “Minister Paradis’ bill represents a unique opportunity to effect real change for animals in this province and we, at the Montreal SPCA, look forward to working with the Minister and his team towards this goal.”

If you witness any incident of cruelty or animal neglect, please report it to the Montreal SPCA inspection department by leaving a message at: (514) 735-2711 ext. 2230, or sending an email to inspection@spca.com. In case of emergency, please call (514) 735-2711, extension 0.

Animal abuse or neglect can also be reported to the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation by calling 1 844 ANIMAUX or by sending an email at: centraledesignalement@mapaq.gouv.qc.ca.

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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 many years, the Montreal SPCA has been working hard with municipal, provincial and federal governments to improve animal protection laws. In 2014, our inspection service investigated 1,217 new complaints and conducted the inspection of 3,012 animals, all species combined. A total of 101 animals were seized as a result of these investigations and several criminal and penal charges were laid.

For more information about the Montreal SPCA, please visit our website at www.spca.com