MONTREAL, QUEBEC (Sept. 28, 2008) – A team of United Animal Nations’ Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) volunteers is currently working with Humane Society InternationalCanada and the Canadian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (CSPCA) to care for 118 animals rescued from a puppy mill in Rawdon, Quebec on September 26.
All 118 animals rescued from the horrific puppy mill are now resting comfortably at the CSPCA emergency shelter. This puppy mill bust is one of the largest in the history of Quebec.
  Leslee Weiss of East Haddam, Connecticut, is one of nearly 20 Emergency Animal Rescue Service volunteers helping to care for animals removed from a puppy mill near Montreal, Canada. Â  |
“I am amazed at the unprecedented outpouring of compassion and dedication that we have seen in this rescue mission. The local and national support has been tremendous. I am especially touched by the support that this community has shown. It would have been impossible for us to save these animals without the support of all of the organizations involved,” said Alanna Devine, acting executive director of the CSPCA.
When the CSPCA/HSI Canada rescue team arrived on the scene, the smell of ammonia made it difficult to breathe and almost overpowered them. In one of the rooms, music was playing at unbearably loud levels to drown out the noise of the dogs’ desperate barking. Many of the animals were housed in the dark basement. Ninety percent of the dogs were emaciated, with open sores and parasites, stacked in wire cages from floor to ceiling, some hidden behind closet doors in a house of horrors. Some of the cages even held the skeletons of dogs who had passed away weeks or months before, but had been left untouched.
“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.”
The CSPCA, Humane Society InternationalCanada and UAN are working together at the emergency shelter in Montreal to properly care for the once-neglected animals. These groups are also being assisted by dedicated local volunteers and veterinarians to feed, exercise, medically treat and clean up for the 110 dogs, seven cats and one rabbit rescued from the squalid breeding facility.
“While these dogs are now on the road to recovery hundreds of thousands of others are suffering in equally horrific facilities across the country,” said Rebecca Aldworth, director of animal programs for HSI Canada. “Humane Society InternationalCanada is dedicated to eradicating these cruel and illegal operations, and we need the support of the public to accomplish this goal.”
Many resources are needed to take care of such a large number of animals. The CSPCA is in dire need of monetary donations, blankets, towels and sturdy dog toys to be used for the care of these deserving animals. Please contact the CSPCA or visit their Web site if you are interested in making a donation.
You can also 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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