Montreal, August 6th 2018 – Today, in the lead-up to the provincial electoral campaign, the Montreal SPCA is launching its campaign Animal Wrongs to demand that the government of Quebec regulate the treatment of farm animals.
Despite the adoption of a new legal framework designed to protect all animals, those raised for human consumption are excluded from the key protections granted by the law. This is why many cruel practices – such as castrating calves and lambs without anesthesia or analgesics – are routinely performed on farms. These same practices would be totally illegal if performed on dogs or cats.
No legislation regulates the treatment of farm animals
“The legislative amendments adopted with great fanfare by the government in 2015 were meant to mark the beginning of a fundamental change in our relationship with animals. Yet nothing has changed for farm animals, as they continue to be treated as mere commodities,” said Sophie Gaillard, Director of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal SPCA. “In fact, our provincial animal welfare act excludes agricultural activities from its scope provided these are conducted “in accordance with generally recognized rules.” However, no such rules are defined in the Act. Right now, as long as a significant portion of the industry engages in a certain practice, it is automatically considered consistent with « generally recognized rules. » We therefore have a dangerous situation where the industry itself is determining which practices are legal or illegal, regardless of the degree of suffering they inflict on animals.”
Nationally developed codes of practice for the care and handling of livestock exist. However, these codes currently have no legal value. While the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island have made these codes of practice compulsory, compliance remains strictly voluntary in Quebec.
Quebecers expect things to change
A recent survey revealed that 72% of Quebecers expect their future government to adopt legislative measures and policies designed to ensure the welfare of the province’s animals. The Montreal SPCA is therefore confident that political parties will act according to the will of voters and commit to protecting farm animals. « Quebecers expect all animals in the province to be protected by the law and want animal welfare to become an electoral issue, » said Élise Desaulniers, Executive Director of the Montreal SPCA. « We encourage people to write to the main political parties by visiting spca.com/en/animal.”
A city-wide campaign
The Montreal SPCA’s campaign, Animal Wrongs, can be seen along the main streets of Montreal. The Montreal SPCA encourages people to join its campaign by visiting spca.com/en/animal.
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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 and follow us on social media.
