“It is disappointing that these regulations which have been nearly three years in the making still fall short in addressing the animal welfare crisis in Quebec,” said Johanne Tasse, director, Centres d’Adoption d’Animaux de Compagnie du Quebec. “The public must speak out during this short 45 day window by August 5. This is an opportunity for the public to insist that stronger protection be afforded to cats and dogs in Quebec. Without improvement these regulations will do little to affect the suffering endured by tens of thousands of dogs and cats every day in the Province.”

“The way these updated regulations stand, a dog in Quebec could be locked in a small cage day after day, without any access to daylight, veterinary care or even basic enrichment and socialization,” said Lauren Scott, campaigner for HSI/Canada. “In essence, these regulations are legally allowing puppy mills to continue to exist in this province”.

“It is critical that along with changes to the draft regulations, that a commitment is made to drastically increase the penalties for each convicted offence,” said Alanna Devine, director of animal advocacy for the Montreal SPCA. “Other provinces have amended their penalty provisions to include fines of up to $75,000 and incarceration of up to two years, in Quebec the maximum penalty for a first time individual offender is a negligible $600. If we want this legislation to have a deterrent effect we need to do more than simply increase the fines for penalties by a couple of hundred dollars, we need heavy fines and jail time”.

In 2008, HSI/Canada joined forces with the Montreal SPCA to rescue more than 330 dogs from Quebec puppy mills. The dogs were found emaciated and dehydrated, without adequate access to food, water and veterinary care, some dying in their cages. The massive public outcry that resulted compelled the Charest government in 2009 to establish a special task force under MAPAQ to improve legislation and enforcement in Quebec.

Over the past two and a half years, the special task force consisting of animal welfare experts, veterinarians, and industry representatives have worked together to update the P-42 (Quebec Animal Welfare Act) regulations. By bringing their expertise, research and view points to the table, they provided MAPAQ with the most effective knowledge on how to best update the Province’s animal welfare regulations. It should be noted, however, that due to the input of such a broad spectrum of opinions, the updated regulations do not necessarily represent a unified voice.

The recently released new regulations did successfully introduce a few important improvements, including mandatory exercise for each animal, compulsory grooming and trimming of nails and ventilation to ban contaminants such as dust and ammonia. Unfortunately, MAPAQ failed to address a number of key areas in the new animal welfare regulations proposed. Some of the most critical items not addressed in the regulations: veterinary care; maximum number of breeding dogs per facility; enrichment for dogs or cats confined to cages for extended periods of time; and loopholes in authorized euthanasia methods. The necessity to update P-42 was reaffirmed with the recent publication of the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s annual Canadian Animal Protection Laws Rankings for 2010. This report compared the animal protection laws of each provincial jurisdiction. Since 2008, Quebec has been on a steady decline to the bottom — this year ranked as the worst province in Canada. The report’s ranking of Quebec as the “best province to be an animal abuser” underscores the urgent need for action.

HSI/Canada, the Montreal SPCA and caacQ will be compiling a formal document with their animal welfare recommendations before the August 5 deadline. This joint report will be made available for public consultation three weeks prior to the August 5 deadline.

The organizations are also urging members of the public to write in to MAPAQ requesting that the regulations announced be dramatically improved.

All comments must be submitted by mail or fax to Madeleine Fortin:

Madeleine Fortin
Sous-ministre adjointe, Direction générale de l’alimentation
200, chemin Sainte-Foy, 12e Étage Québec (Québec)
G1R 4X6
Fax: 418 380-2171

Media Contact: Lauren Scott, HSI/Canada- 514-395-2914,

For weeks I have anticipated the investigative report on Berger Blanc by Enquête with both impatience and dread. For years I’ve been amongst those who knew they weren’t operating as they should but wondered exactly what was happening behind their walls. As the guardian of 3 cats found abandoned on Berger Blanc territory, and a refuge dog that had been slated to be killed (in a different pound), I’m deeply upset thinking about what their fates could have been. But now as I nurse my emotional hangover I’m just furious that the sadism and incompetence will be allowed to continue. Emotions aside, I’ll try to provide a rundown on the latest, in order to help people negotiate what’s happening, and what can be done.

The Actions

Last year, a disturbing report on a visit to Berger Blanc was the last straw. Finally people have had enough and decide to take concrete action.

• A facebook group is formed in order to gather and disseminate information, it’s called The Truth about Berger Blanc
• A petition is created here.
• In March an article appears in the english journal Montreal Mirror
• An extraordinary woman, Isabelle, decides to find out for herself what’s going on, and from that comes the damning report by Enquête, that exposes the cruelty taking place on a daily basis.  Watch on tou.tv.(graphic!)
• English media picks up the story . Watch the CBC news report. (also graphic)

The Reactions

• The city of Montreal reacts in typical bureaucratic fashion. The city inspectors sent don’t find any irregularities?! This is their press release.
• Berger Blanc starts damage control (too late!) and reacts with a ridiculous defensive open letter on their site, found here. (in French) There site is still under construction. (sigh).
• The SPCA responds to the investigative report and underlying problems on their site.
• The Order of Veterinary Medicine of Quebec sends out a press release denouncing Berger Blanc’s practices: Read it here. (in french)
• Update – April 23rd : The city of Boucherville temporarily suspends its contract with Berger Blanc, pending review. Article is here. (french)

What more can you do?

• Show up at the manifestation hosted by SPA Canada, to be held tomorrow, Saturday, April 23rd : details are here
• Let our mayor Gerald Tremblay know what you think by commenting on his Facebook page here : (Please be respectful!)
• Visit the Humane Society International website : There you can sign their petition and also make use of the tools offered to send letters to your municipality.  Find them here.
• Update – April 23rd : Sign the petition calling for Berger Blanc to appear before a tribunal. Sign here.
• Update – April 24th : Show up at the manifestation hosted by SPA Canada, to be held May 13th : details are here

Of course Berger Blanc are not the only guilty party here. The enormous quantity of animals that Berger Blanc so brutally handles all come from somewhere. Please don’t support puppy mills and back yard breeders, adopt from shelters. There shouldn’t be such a high volume of animals passing through their doors. (I wonder how many microchips would be found in their landfill). And please sterilize your pets. We need to ask ourselves if we’re part of the problem or the solution.

This post will possibly be updated as I find other pertinent information to pass on. Please stay tuned!

For the past month I’ve been following the story of Patrick. I’m sure that a lot of you have heard about him. He’s a very personable young pitbull mix with soulful eyes, who was starved to the brink of death and then put in a trash bag and thrown down a garbage chute in a highrise housing unit in Newark, New Jersey. He was aptly named after the Saint, on who’s day he was found by a city worker, and his story has captured the hearts of over 96 000 facebook followers amongst others, who are following every milestone and cheering him on while he’s in the care of the Garden State Veterinary Specialists.

The first pictures are shocking, it’s hard to believe he survived, but he did! But what’s hit me the most is that each day new cases are posted on his page of dogs that have been starved or abused, but who haven’t gotten nearly the same amount of attention. In between those cases are the countless number of dogs who are posted in the hopes they’ll get some attention and be saved from death. It was suggested that an event be created where donations would be given to a local shelter in Patrick’s name, on the one month anniversary of his being saved. I say that’s a grand idea! Shelters need money, but also food, supplies and time. And hopefully people will be inspired to keep it going all year long, so that more animals can have their day in the sun.

The Patrick Miracle on Facebook

The Patrick Movement for Quebec

A Gift from Patrick Day

Berger Blanc is the largest for profit animal control service in Canada. What goes on inside its walls? You can finally find out. On April 21 Radio Canada’s Enquête will broadcast an investigative report on Berger Blanc. It will repeat on Radio Canada (CBC French) at 1pm on Saturday the 23rd and on RDI Sunday the 24th at 6pm, and Monday the 25th at 2 am.

Also available on line after the show airs.

Please keep a vigilant eye on what your dog is putting in its mouth, as there have been reports of dogs becoming very ill after having picked up dead squirrels. Cats can be affected too. If your pet shows signs of distress like red mouth, extreme joint stiffness and shaking, please consult your veterinary or after hours the DMV. Please report any similar or abnormal incidents to Miss Sarah Reed, Animal Services Officer for Baie d’Urfé at 514 386-0227.

Please keep your pets safe! Thanks Sarah, for the warning.

UPDATE : I’ve learned that the dogs have recovered, (after thousands in medical bills), and it’s been confirmed that the squirrels were poisoned.

UPDATE – JAN 3RD : I received more information on these incidents, thanks to Gabriel Boudreault, Inspector for the S.P.C.A. One dog at least was diagnosed with mycotoxin intoxication, which is caused by eating something moldy, like garbage or in this case the infected squirrel. Reassuring to know that it was not malice, but still something to be careful of, with your pets.

An article that appeared in the West Island Gazette can be found here.

This being the case, it’s important that if you find a lost animal, you realize that the likelihood that it will be reunited with it’s family if brought to Berger Blanc is hampered by the fact that there’s a good chance that they don’t have a record that it was lost, and furthermore, it likely won’t be kept long enough for the owner to have a real chance to check! This is especially the case with a cat that could have been lost for months! Add on to this that they’re far away from many of the neighbourhoods they serve, and that they don’t publish their strays, and the difficulties become obvious.

Also, if an animal needs medical help, please don’t think that there will be any major interventions taken by a city shelter. (This would be true of any pound.)

So what should you do if you’ve found a stray? Ideally, if it doesn’t have a tag, you should check with a vet if it’s microchipped. If it’s not, then check for posters and listings, and also list it yourself. The SPCA will also publish it on their strays page. Try to do everything to get it back home, and if you can, keep it with you until you do! (Also, be sure that he’s claimed by his real owner.) This all might be inconvenient, but would be a very honorable thing to do! Realize too, that a cat could have been lost for a very long time! If you’re not able to keep it with you, or can’t find it’s owner, then try to find a no kill shelter. And if your intention is to bring it directly to the Berger Blanc, then honestly I believe you should just leave it where it is if it’s not in danger!

I think it would be a great service if those going to Berger Blanc would keep an eye out for each others pets when there, (I know some already do), since it is too far away for many people to visit regularly! If you check for others, they might check for you! And please keep collars and tags on your pets, and/or microchip, to be sure they have the best chance of getting home!

If you’re in the area and see anything suspicious, containers with liquids, or foods left out, please remove it immediately, and alert the police, the SPCA, or the city of Lachine. And of course, keep your children and pets safe!

There are much easier ways of dealing with unwanted domestic animals or wildlife, that don’t involve subjecting them to such painful, cruel deaths.

A little bit of advice for those who are moving this year. As we all know the abandonment rates are really high, (sadly we are the worst in Canada for this), but there’s also another phenomenon, and that is cats that get lost during the move. It’s incredibly stressful for pets to change environments so it’s important to keep them safe during the packing up of your old house, and unpacking in the new. The biggest mistake some people might make is letting kitty out to explore it’s new territory as soon as they arrive in their new home. Because the old location is so strongly imprinted, the cat then gets lost trying to return to it’s familiar territory. This can lead to the cat getting hopelessly and dangerously lost in between the two locations. It’s recommended to let your cat get used to the new house slowly, which can take weeks. It’ll probably demand to go out even more adamantly, but that should be all the more reason to resist. What he’ll do is rub his face on objects and furniture when he feels safe, leaving his scent. You can even help the process by rubbing your cats muzzle and head with a soft cloth and transferring the scent from his glands onto the new home, on doorjambs, walls and furniture that are at cat level.

And because there are a ridiculous amount of pets abandoned, especially in the summer, it’s all the more important to have a collar and tags on your furry friends, so that there’s no doubt as to your desire to keep them safe!

It seems that every time I walk my dog, I come across a poster for a lost pet. I also know that there’s an entire secteur of the population, who might not consider using the net as a tool. And from time to time I get people submitting found pets that they’re certain that they saw a poster for, but can no longer find the ad. I know I always have some kind of camera on me, so I’ll start to take photos too!

So…I invite you to send me photos of posters you come across, and I’ll list it in a photo gallery. There will only be a few simple guidelines.

• I would need the district and street where you took the photo.
• The information on the  photo has to be legible,
• It shouldn’t be listed on the site already, either as a photo, or a post.
• If the pet is later submited to the site for posting, the photo will be removed, (to avoid duplication).

That’s it! I’ll make another page of poster photos, so that you might be lucky enough to find your lost or found pet there! Of course, I won’t be able to follow up on whether the info is still valid, so I’ll likely just leave them up for a set time. And if by chance you know what their status is, please let me know!

Very disturbing, please keep your pets safe!

There will be a march to demonstrate against the use of gas chambers in Quebec and across Canada, organized by the Canadian Volunteers for the Protection of Animals. The group will assemble on April 17th at 1pm in Lafontaine Park, at the Chalet Calixa-Lavallée on Calixa Lavallee street, and will continue on Cherrier to Carré St-Louis. You can find street parking by Calixa Lavallée or by Emile-Duployé. Parking is free for 3 hours.

Georges Laraque (from the NHL), Patricia Tulasne (actress), Julie Snyder ( Productions J), Jacques Godin (actor) as well as many others will be present!

For details you can contact the organizers:

Carol Waterman :  (for english) and Gayle Coleman :  (for french).