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October 9, 2009

Quebec Responds to Animal Welfare Report

Humane Society International/Canada

For years, Quebec has had the reputation of being the "puppy mill capital of North America" and the worst place for animals in Canada. Not surprisingly, Quebec received the lowest provincial rating from the Animal Legal Defense Fund in its 2009 Canadian Animal Protection Laws Rankings.

Late in 2008, HSI paired with the Montreal SPCA in raiding three puppy mills in rapid succession. The resulting media storm both provincially and nationally, and a strong grassroots campaign across Quebec, convinced the Premier that action was urgently needed. Seven months ago, a task force was established, and HSI Canada was asked to participate.

The task force was asked to evaluate the extent of animal welfare problems in Quebec, and to identify solutions. The work completed, a report [PDF] was created and submitted to the Minister for feedback. Yesterday, the Quebec government held a press conference to announce its response to the report—including the measures it plans to take to address companion animal welfare issues in this province.

What we have achieved is this:

• A commitment to strengthen the provincial animal protection laws and related penalties in 2010, using Ontario standards as a reference point (Ontario is ranked #1 in the ALDF 2009 Canadian Animal Protection Laws Rankings)
• A $1 million contribution from the Quebec government to improve the infrastructure of SPCAs and SPAs in the province
• A commitment to increase the number of provincial animal welfare inspectors from five to 20
• A commitment to study possible registration systems for commercial breeding operations and related enterprises
• A commitment to apply minimum standards of care for SPCAs, breeders and any facility that houses animals
• A commitment to working to provide the mandate to SPCAs and SPAs to enforce provincial animal welfare laws

HSI Canada sees this announcement as a positive move forward in the campaign to protect companion animals in Quebec. However, we remain cautious, given we will need to evaluate the follow-through on these commitments.

One key issue is the lack of funding provided by the Quebec government for enforcement. We know that an adequate enforcement program in Quebec—which would allow authorities to investigate cruelty complaints, remove animals from situations of abuse and neglect, and provide shelter and veterinary care—would cost several million dollars annually. As a means of raising the funds needed, HSI Canada has proposed a one percent tax on pet products sold in Quebec (for example, a $1.00 tin of pet food would cost $1.01). We commissioned a poll recently that shows 73 percent of Quebeckers support such a plan, which would produce the funds needed for enforcement. We hope to convince the Quebec government to move forward on this idea in the near future.

In the end, what has happened this week is historic—if the Quebec government makes good on its commitments, the lives of countless animals will improve dramatically. We look forward to continuing our work on the task force to ensure this occurs.