The House of Horrors

On September 26, an investigation by Humane Society International/Canada and the Montreal SPCA culminated in a raid on what was referred to as "the most horrific conditions of any puppy mill ever encountered." That, of course, was until investigators raided another puppy mill this past Tuesday in Lanaudière and what they found there was even worse.

What I described above is EXACTLY what takes place right here in our own province and we are doing NOTHING to stop it. Because we have no serious provincial animal protection legislation, we have become a haven for shady puppy mill operators. By not doing something about this, we've allowed this province to become a haven for cruelty.

As an animal lover and as someone who has adopted both a dog and a cat from a pet shelter, I am absolutely disgusted and saddened by what is taking place in this province. How many more puppy mills need to be raided? How many more innocent animals need to live and die this way? How many more $%*holes are we going to allow to get away with this? Why isn't there a bigger outcry for stricter legislation and real change?

Every year in this province, 400,000 puppies are born into horrible living conditions in order to be sold in pet stores. There are over 1,500 puppy mills in Quebec alone and yet there are only 8 investigators tackling animal cruelty issues, compared to Ontario which has 347!

With much tougher animal cruelty legislation enacted in other provinces, unscrupulous breeders have set up shop here. They know the law has no bite and animal protection groups have no legal power to do anything to them.

It's time for us to speak for those who don't have a voice. Stop buying puppies from pet stores and save a life by adopting from a shelter. Close to 90% of puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills! Why take a chance? Take a stand instead and make a statement that this will no longer be tolerated by compassionate Quebecers.

In a little over a week, we go to the polls. Why isn't this issue on the agenda? Sure, animals don't vote, but guess what? We do! Demand to find out what your local MP and MNA intend to do about this. Support stronger legislation by signing petitions and lobbying for stricter provincial and federal laws. Let's stop making it so easy for these despicable puppy mill operators to make a dollar off the suffering of innocent animals.

If we all saw this cruel industry for what it is and realized that how we treat the weakest members of our society is a true reflection of our compassion as human beings, than we would act swiftly to eradicate this blight from our province. We'd find a way to shut them down for good.

As of TODAY (Friday Oct 3rd) the puppy mill dogs will once again be in need of your help! We are seeking volunteers throughout the day for various tasks, including cleaning cages, feeding animals, medicating them and limited socialization with the pooches. We are seeking volunteers from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Though we need help throughout the day, the morning shifts are the most difficult to fill – and yet they require the most work. So, if your schedule allows it, please consider volunteering from 8 a.m. We are urgently looking for volunteers for the Saturday the 4th evening shift – exceptionally from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Half shifts are welcome for this day!!

Below you will find the shifts:

8 a.m to 12 p.m.

1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

(Obviously, if you are not available for an entire shift, please advise me so I could schedule you for half shifts - minimum 2 hours)

As you can see, a lot of work is required (FYI, we need a minimum of 15 people per shift!). Together, I know we can make this work. Though the work is physical, I can tell you that from my personal experience and from what volunteers have been saying – the experience is very rewarding.

Our priority is to ensure the well-being of all animals while maintaining a rewarding experience for all volunteers involved. In order to succeed, last-minute cancellations and no-shows will unfortunately not be tolerated. Furthermore, all volunteers need to be scheduled in advance – otherwise, we will not be able to enter the premises for security reasons. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

To everyone involved in this operation – words cannot express how grateful we are. A simple ‘Thank You’ just does not seem to be enough. This operation directly involves saving the lives of 300 animals – this is something to be proud of! Congratulations to all involved!

Thank you in advance for all your help – whether you are an SPCA volunteer, or you are volunteering for another animal welfare group – together we can make a difference one step at a time.

I hope to hear from many of you shortly!!

Anita Kapuscinska

Emergency Shelter Volunteer Coordinator

CSPCA

anita.kapuscinska@spcamontreal.com

514.735.2711 ext 2235

514.739.4444