MONTREAL, QUEBEC (October 1, 2008) – A team of United Animal Nations’ Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) volunteers is currently working with Humane Society International/Canada and the Canadian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (CSPCA) to care for 159 animals rescued from a puppy mill north of Montreal today. UAN’s EARS volunteers were already caring for 118 animals removed from a puppy mill in Rawdon, Quebec on September 26.
Four EARS volunteers accompanied HSI/Canada and CSPCA rescuers into the overrun puppy mill today. The facility’s conditions warranted the immediate removal of all dogs on the premises. The rescued dogs were promptly transported to the CSPCA emergency shelter where they will be checked by a team of veterinarians and given any necessary medical care. They will be cared for at the emergency shelter by HSI/Canada, the CSPCA, United Animal Nations and dedicated local volunteers.
  Leslee Weiss of East Haddam, Connecticut, is one of nearly 20 Emergency Animal Rescue Service volunteers helping to care for animals removed from two puppy mills near Montreal, Canada.   |
“Conducting two puppy mill raids in Quebec in less than a week is completely unprecedented,” said Alanna Devine, acting executive director at the CSPCA. “Quebec is known as the puppy mill capitol of North America, and it is time for the public to stand with the Canadian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to shut them down.”
The 118 animals rescued during last week’s puppy mill raid in Rawdon are beginning their road to recovery at the CSPCA’s emergency shelter. Seventy-eight of the animals seized have been liberated to the CSPCA’s custody and are available for permanent adoption. The remaining animals will be placed in foster homes pending the outcome of the case. Animal Advocacy groups argue that the absence of adequate provincial animal welfare legislation and enforcement has allowed puppy mills to flourish in Quebec.
“This is just the beginning of Humane Society International/Canada’s crackdown on puppy mills nationwide,” said Rebecca Aldworth, director of animal programs for HSI Canada. “Our message is simple: if you operate a puppy mill in Canada, we’re coming for you. Your days of profiting from misery are coming to an end.”
“Though they have faced unthinkable cruelty for years, these resilient animals are already beginning to heal immensely under our care,” said Marcel Marcotte, EARS Eastern Canada Regional Director. “Many of these animals had never before set foot on solid ground or been touched by a gentle human hand. It is so rewarding to be able to nurse them back to health.”
You can support the Emergency Animal Rescue Service team in Montreal by making a donation to UAN’s Disaster Relief Fund.
United Animal Nations (UAN) is North America’s leading provider of emergency animal sheltering and disaster relief services and a key advocate for the critical needs of animals. Learn more at www.uan.org.
Humane Society International is the international arm of The Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest animal protection organization – backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty – On the Web at humanesociety.org.
The CSPCA was founded in 1869 making it the oldest humane society in Canada. Its mission is to protect animals against negligence, abuse and exploitation and to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves by ensuring their well-being. Raising public awareness and helping develop compassion for all living creatures is also part of its mandate. Every year, the CSPCA finds homes for more than 10,000 animals, making it the shelter with the highest number of adoptions in Canada. To learn more, visit www.spcamontreal.com.
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