Dogs infested with parasites, an unsanitary environment, non-existent veterinary follow-ups, animals that kill each other… The story of former employees and members of the entourage of a kennel in Lévis sends shivers down the spine.
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“We were told that an injured or too sick dog was not made for this life. They left him to die or killed him, there was no question of paying a veterinarian, ”says a former employee who worked for a few years at Chenil La Poursuite and who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.
Permanently attached to a “4 or 5 foot leash”, poorly maintained, and without stimulation during the off-season, some of the approximately 200 dogs in the place would become aggressive towards others, our sources explain.
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During his visit to Chenil La Poursuite on August 26, activist Shay Lee filmed a scene in which a dog refused to let go of another beast’s throat.
“Recently they cut off a dog’s tail with a carpentry tool because he had done it to himself. nab by his leash neighbor, ”says another source, pointing out that it has happened on several occasions that employees return in the morning and have to pick up corpses.
Our informants also denounce the euthanasia of the puppies of new unwanted litters using a rifle or a sledgehammer… when these are not problems related to inbreeding.
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A photo provided by a source and dating from January 2020 shows a pool of blood after a fight between two beasts.
parasites and viruses
These allegations come only a few months after the closure of the company Expédition Mi-Loup, on Île d’Orléans, due to a similar scandal. The organization’s three owners were recently charged with animal cruelty.
After hearing about the situation at Chenil La Poursuite, Shay Lee, an activist who was involved in the fall of Expédition Mi-Loup, went to Lévis to find out for sure.
Posing as a foster home, she was able to retrieve around 30 dogs that the kennel no longer wanted, which she then treated and sent to shelters. But what she saw there completely baffled her.
“It looked like a swamp, there was mud mixed with blue-green algae everywhere. The dogs’ water was yellowish and they were circling between their excrement and the carcasses of raw chickens,” recounts the one who, like several of our sources, filed a complaint with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. of Quebec (MAPAQ).
Several of the canines she rescued were also infested with parasites, worms or parvovirus, as evidenced by reports from veterinarians consulted by The newspaper.
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Ms. Lee observed several bowls filled with yellowish water during her recent stint with the organization.
“Completely wrong”
The newspaper went to the site of the dog sledding business yesterday to question the main owner of the place, Laurent Caouette, about the allegations against him.
If he initially refused to comment on the situation, wishing to wait for the visit of MAPAQ in the coming days, he finally denied the facts of which he is accused.
“That’s completely wrong! There has never been a dog that has been mistreated here. These are people who want to shut down the kennels that tell lies. We follow MAPAQ regulations,” says Mr. Caouette.
Call to elected officials
Although he considers the comments made by former employees and members of the organization’s entourage as “false rumours”, the man still fears the consequences that these could have on his business.
“If we close, we will have to euthanize 200 dogs,” he sighs.
Nearly 500 people have also sent an email to various provincial and municipal elected officials urging them to investigate the place urgently.
Asked about the Chenil La Poursuite case, the MAPAQ did not respond to our requests yesterday.