2019 Annual Report
“In 2019, the Montreal SPCA celebrated its 150th anniversary, a marvelous opportunity to highlight the work and accomplishments of thousands of people throughout the years.
Women and men who spoke out on animals’ behalf when no one took animal-welfare issues seriously, who walked shelter dogs or took care of stray cats during the long Montreal winters, asking for nothing in return. Without each and every one, the situation of animals in Quebec would not have progressed as we have seen it do over the past 150 years.
Much work remains to be done to protect animals from neglect, abuse and exploitation, and thus ensure their well-being. Yet, seeing how far we have come in 150 years fills us with great hope for the future.”
— Élise Desaulniers, Executive Director
Thank you for your generosity
In 2019, 26,936 individual donors and 347 charitable organizations and companies lent us a generous and helping hand. Our monthly donation program continued to be successful, with 6,197 monthly donors.
The SPCA is fortunate to be able to count on 400 volunteers who assist the shelter seven days a week throughout the year, and is also grateful to its Board of Directors for their wonderful support and guidance.
A prestigious fundraising gala to highlight the Montreal SPCA’s 150th anniversary was held on June 12 at the Marché Bonsecours. Thanks to everyone’s generosity, the evening raised $134,078.40 to help us pursue our crucial work.
Animal Care
In 2019, the Montreal SPCA treated and cared for 14,889 animals, many of whom had been abused, neglected, lost or injured, or were in need of spaying or neutering. Day in and day out, our veterinary team plays an essential role in ensuring the well-being of all animals of all species. The team’s main objective is to provide high-quality medical and emergency care to our animals.
Animal Advocacy
In April, the Montreal SPCA launched a campaign to ban the declawing of cats in Quebec. Over 39,000 supporters joined us in urging the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (OMVQ) to ban this practice, which is already prohibited in over 30 jurisdictions around the world, including most Canadian provinces.
Investigations
Every year, our Investigations Division receives thousands of complaints and reports. In 2019, our animal protection officers visited over 4,951 animals of various species and opened 1,335 new investigations. The investigations team removed a total of 581 animals from their environments and led investigations resulting in 29 convictions.
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In January 2017, our Investigations Division received a complaint about a man brutally beating his dog. After obtaining a search warrant, our animal protection officers arrived on the scene, seized the dog, named Miller, and brought him in to the shelter. In September 2019, Miller’s former owner pled guilty to a count of cruelty to animals for having caused his dog undue suffering. The man was sentenced to 90 days in prison, a five-year prohibition on owning animals, and a 12-month probation conditional to undergoing anger-management therapy. Adopted by his foster family, Miller now lives the good life: he takes long naps, goes swimming and enjoys long walks with his new family.
In October 2019, the Montreal SPCA received a call from a supermarket. Its employees had found a hen who had hopped into the egg delivery truck. It is unclear how this case of the chicken and the egg could have happened! Luckily, our team rushed out and brought the hen to our shelter to be examined by our veterinarians. Baptized by our team, Beatrice was suffering from dehydration and her feathers were covered with excrement. She immediately received emergency care and her condition stabilized quickly. Beatrice is now enjoying life in a sanctuary.
After being hit by a car, five-month-old Ayo arrived at the SPCA with serious injuries. To save this tiny kitten, the medical team had to take drastic measures, beginning with amputating part of her tail and her back right leg. They were able to reconstruct her chin and reattach the skin so it would be as functional and aesthetic as possible. Once recovered, Ayo was adopted by a caring family.
