{"id":39399,"date":"2022-10-05T18:33:15","date_gmt":"2022-10-05T22:33:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spca.com\/cerfs-decision-en-appel\/"},"modified":"2022-10-06T17:36:38","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T21:36:38","slug":"deer-appeal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spca.com\/en\/deer-appeal\/","title":{"rendered":"Longueuil Deer: The SPCA Will Appeal the Decision"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Press release \u2013 For immediate release<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montr\u00e9al, October 5 2022 \u2013 <\/strong>Yesterday, the Superior Court rendered its decision on the Safeguard Order in the Michel-Chartrand Park deer case. After hearing arguments from all parties, including the Montreal SPCA, which is acting as an intervener in the case, on September 28, the Court refused to order the suspension of the deer cull planned this fall by the City of Longueuil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his decision, the Honourable Judge Andres C. Garin stated that by granting animals the status of \u201csentient beings\u201d, Quebec law recognizes that they have \u201can intrinsic value that is not exclusively dependent on their usefulness to human beings\u201d*. The Court also considered that the death of the deer constitutes\u00a0\u201cirreparable harm\u201d to the plaintiffs, who \u201cclearly have a real interest in the fate of the herd at Michel-Chartrand Park\u201d* and who are entitled to act in the public interest in bringing the matter before the courts. However, the judge concluded that the inconveniences that the City of Longueuil would suffer if the cull were suspended outweighed the inconveniences that the plaintiffs would suffer if it were maintained, even though this would effectively put an end to their case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SPCA believes that the Superior Court made several errors in its analysis and will soon file an application for leave to appeal to the Quebec Court of Appeal to have this decision reviewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDespite this first setback before the Superior Court, the Montreal SPCA is not ready to give up on this case,\u201d insists Sophie Gaillard, Acting Executive Director and Director of Animal Advocacy and Legal Affairs at the Montreal SPCA. \u201cThe case of the deer in Michel-Chartrand Park is emblematic of an issue that is becoming more prevalent in Quebec, and our intervention aims to broaden the debate and trigger a real reflection on the responsible and ethical management of wildlife in our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Montreal SPCA is represented in this case by Marie-Claude St-Amant, a partner at Melan\u00e7on Marceau Grenier Cohen, LLP, who also chairs the SPCA\u2019s board of directors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*SPCA translation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For additional information in the lawsuit, visit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n