Dr. Barry Kellogg, Humane Society International veterinary medical doctor, holds a breeding female at an emergency shelter that was rescued from a breeding operation in southwestern Quebec.
MONTREAL, Quebec - More than 500 dogs have been seized in southwestern Quebec in what could represent the largest animal cruelty case in the province's history. The dogs were found Friday on a property in a rural area west of Montreal. They were reported to be living in poor conditions without sufficient food and water.Guy Auclair, a spokesman for the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, said the scale of the seizure is without precedent in Quebec. Many were found suffering from skin and respiratory problems, he said.
They were placed under the care of Humane Society International, which had already transported several hundred dogs to a treatment centre Saturday.- Lauren Scott, a spokeswoman for the organization who was at the site said, this is definitely one the largest operations that we've ever come across in Canada.
- It also involves some of the worst conditions he has seen to date. It heartbreaking to see what these dogs have endured, he said.
The investigation is ongoing and charges could be laid against the operators of the puppy mill. It will be up to the courts to decide whether the dogs will be put for adoption or returned to their original owners, he said.- The incident is just the latest in a series of disturbing animal abuse cases in Quebec that have made headlines in recent years.
- The province has long been considered the puppy mill capital of North America, with an estimated 800 unregulated breeding operations in Montreal alone.
- Quebec was named "the best province to be an animal abuser" in the 2011 annual report prepared by the U.S.-based Animal Legal Defense Fund.
Last month, nearly 40 malnourished Huskies were found chained to trees on a property The Quebec government is in the process of introducing new animal welfare regulations designed to crack down on puppy and kitten mills in the province.
The rules would include minimum standards of care and cleanliness and norms for euthanizing unwanted pets.
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