Montreal, December 16, 2014 – Following the Montreal SPCA’s investigation into a milk-fed veal farm located in Pont Rouge, Quebec, Éric Dame, a former employee of the facility, has been charged with two counts of violating the provincial Animal Health Protection Act and could face up to 37, 000$ in fines.
The Montreal SPCA launched an investigation into alleged acts of abuse and neglect following an official complaint by Mercy for Animals Canada (MFA), who obtained disturbing undercover footage at the Pont Rouge facility. On April 19th, CTV’s W5 aired some of this shocking footage, which shows sick calves languishing in crates so small that they are unable to turn around, animals forced to live in their own excrement, and employees, namely Dame, shoving, kicking and screaming at calves. To view the images obtained by MFA, click here.
“While we are pleased that this case has drawn attention to the plight of farm animals in this province, we believe that it also demonstrates how desperately amendments are needed to Quebec’s current legislation in order to ensure for better protection for these animals,” said Alanna Devine, Director of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal SPCA. “There is also little in the way of industry accountability. We have yet to see the corporations that own these types of facilities take responsibility for the actions of their employees, or for the many inhumane, albeit legal, practices that have come to light through MFA’s undercover investigations on factory farms. Things need to change in Quebec, and now is the time.”
Since his appointment as Minister of Agriculture, Pierre Paradis has promised a thorough reform of Quebec’s animal protection legislation. “Our current legislation contains major flaws which we hope to see resolved in the coming months,” said Me Sophie Gaillard, Lawyer and Campaigns Manager for the Montreal SPCA’s Animal Advocacy Department. “In particular, we would like to see the adoption of legally required standards of care for all species – not just for dogs and cats, as is currently the case – as well as a modification to the existing exemption which legalizes all farming practices that are considered acceptable by industry, including the raising of animals in veal crates, battery cages and gestation crates, even if these practices are clearly inhumane.”
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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 the three levels of government (municipal, provincial and federal) to improve laws on animal protection. In 2013, our inspection service investigated 1,102 new complaints and conducted the inspection of 2,846 animals, all species combined. A total of 195 animals were seized as a result of their investigations and several criminal prosecutions or charges have been brought.
For more information about the Montreal SPCA, please visit our website at www.spca.com.
