WHAT? Quebec's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food recently made public its draft regulation on the welfare of companion animals and equines.
THE PROBLEM? Unfortunately, there are still far too many shortcomings when it comes to the sale of animals.
WHAT TO DO? Send your comments on this draft regulation by email to reglementationBEA@mapaq.gouv.qc.ca or copy this text to the attention of Mrs. Christine Barthe, Assistant Deputy Minister for Animal Health and Food Inspection.
WHEN? Before June 25, 2022.
WHY? To reduce the tax burden on taxpayers while protecting Quebecers and respecting animal welfare. See the following 8 reasons.
#1. Breeders of less than 14 cats or dogs do not need to obtain a license issued by MAPAQ.
According to a survey by the Association des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (i), the Belle Province now has 2,134,000 cats in Quebec households, twice as many as dogs. Forty-eight percent of survey respondents say they adopted their cat from an animal centre, shelter, or humane society while eleven percent of respondents chose a dog. Therefore the majority of Quebecers obtain a dog or a cat from breeders or pet stores (which obtain their animals from breeders.) However, owners or guardians of less than 14 cats or dogs in the context of commercial breeding or breeding activities do not need to obtain a permit issued by MAPAQ (ii).
#2. The animal selling industry is not properly regulated in Quebec and collectively we are losing a lot of money.
This survey by the Association des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (i) shows that the average price paid by Quebecers to buy a dog is $1313. A female dog can have an average of 5 to 7 puppies per litter and 2 litters per year, that is, 10 to 14 puppies per year per breeding female. A breeder can therefore generate income of up to $18,300 per year per breeding female. However, the regulation does not provide that a breeder of cats or dogs registers as a business with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec. A recent Radio-Canada report (iii) on companion animals during the pandemic sheds light on this billion-dollar market for veterinary care, leisure and pet food in Quebec — this market stems from an industry that is not properly regulated. Indeed, too many breeders do not have permits issued by MAPAQ (ii) and are not registered as businesses in Quebec, depriving Quebecers and the Quebec government of their fair share of revenue.
#3. The sale of dogs on classified ad sites can pose serious risks to public safety.
Considering the tragic death of Mrs. Christiane Vadnais following an attack by a dog, the serious risks for the safety of the public must be considered in the sale of dogs on classified sites. The Association des médecins vétérinaires du Québec en pratique des petits animaux, the City of Montreal, the Association des juristes progressistes, the Union of Quebec Municipalities and the Montreal SPCA have all expressed concern about the sale of dogs on classified sites in their briefs submitted during Bill 128, aimed at promoting the protection of individuals by setting up a framework for dogs (iv). Scientific studies clearly demonstrate the behavioral and psychological problems, including aggression, of dogs born in high-volume commercial breeding establishments and sold to the consumer directly via the Internet, or in pet stores (v).
#4. Too many animals with health and behavior problems are sold on these sites to the detriment of buyers.
A national campaign calling on Canada's largest classified site to ban the commercial sale of animals and instead promote adoption on its site, has now reached over 434,000 signatures, gained national media attention and the support of 31 animal welfare organizations (vi). These organizations, the comments from signers and the media coverage over the years demonstrate that too many buyers continue to be cheated by unscrupulous breeders on classified sites while too many animals suffering from health problems, often due to breeding and rearing conditions, are sold on these sites, perpetuating veterinary costs to new owners, and inflicting unnecessary emotional and financial stress on them. And studies prove it: «dogs born in high-volume commercial breeding establishments and sold to the consumer directly via the Internet or indirectly through retail pet stores revealed an increased incidence of behavioral and emotional problems », particularly an increase in aggression. (v)
#5. Animals are not property and are sentient beings with biological imperatives.
Article 898.1 of the Civil Code of Quebec defines animals as sentient beings with biological imperatives. Animals should not be sold as personal property through classified ads.
#6. To combat the problem of animal overpopulation, municipalities in Quebec have implemented bylaws allowing only cats and dogs that have been spayed or neutered and coming from registered shelters or animal rescue organizations to be sold in pet stores.
The cities of Hudson, Rosemont-Petite Patrie, Côte Saint-Luc, Town of Mount-Royal, Beaconsfield and Montreal have banned the commercial sale of animals on their territory.
#7. Classified sites are unable to distinguish certified, registered, responsible breeders from breeders who, without regard to animal welfare and the buyer, profit from the sale of animals.
Consider the animal abuser who managed to post animal ads despite a lifetime ban on the Kijiji site (vii) and the comment from the President of Used.ca: "Websites like ours are not qualified or capable of regulating the breeding of pets. » (viii)
#8. Online marketplaces Used.ca, OfferUp, BuySellTrade, letgoCanada, Craigslist and Facebook prohibit the sale of animals on their sites.
Banning the sale of animals in these online marketplaces represents these companies' commitment to improving animal welfare. See their posting policy.
References:
i Association des médecins vétérinaires du Québec, 2021.
https://www.amvq.quebec/fr/nouvelles/resultats-sondage---ladoption-de-chats-et-de-chiens-au-quebec-lors-de-la-pandemie-de-la-covid-19
ii Loi sur le bien-être et la sécurité de l'animal.
http://legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/ShowDoc/cr/P-42,%20r.%2010.1/
iii Cloutier, Jean-Sébastien (2022, 24 janvier). 200 000 chats et chiens de plus pendant la pandémie. Radio-Canada.
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/tele/le-telejournal 18h/site/segments/reportage/388068/chat-chien-pandeemie-depense-expansion-veterinaire
iv Consultations particulières et auditions publiques sur le projet de loi n° 128, 2018.
http://www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/travaux-parlementaires/commissions/CI/mandats/Mandat-39399/memoires-deposes.html
v Franklin D. McMillan (2017). Behavioral and psychological outcomes for dogs sold as puppies through pet stores and/or born in commercial breeding establishments: Current knowledge and putative causes. Journal of Veterinary Behavior.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787817300102
vi Kijiji Canada: Stop puppy mills and prohibit the sale of household pets.
https://www.change.org/p/kijiji-canada-stop-puppy-mills-and-prohibit-the-sale-of-household-pets/u/10402006
vii McGregor, Phlis (2016, 30 mars). Animal abuser Gail Benoit selling pets online again, Kijiji user warns. CBC.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/kijiji-animal-sale-gail-benoit-online-kittens-1.3511314
viii Elizabeth Dutton, présidente de Used.ca (2015, 15 juillet). Used.ca bans profiting from household pets across their entire network.
https://www.used.ca/press-releases/usedeverywhere-com-bans-profiting-household-pets-across-entire-network/