Montreal intends to cease doing business with the Berger blanc for its animal management services and intends to award a contract soon to the non-profit organization (NPO) Proanima.
Questioned by a citizen during the meeting of the municipal council on Monday evening, the mayor of Lachine and responsible for consultation with the boroughs on the executive committee, Maja Vodanovic, revealed that the City had concluded an agreement with Proanima and that during At an upcoming meeting, the municipal council would be called upon to decide on a municipal animal management project in partnership with the NPO.
“The question of the municipal shelter, we’ve been talking about it for ten years and here we are in the last mile. We came to an agreement with an NPO, Proanima. We will present the figures very soon and we hope that the entire municipal council will vote in favor of this municipal management by an NPO for animal welfare,” she said.
Currently, the boroughs are responsible for animal management. Three Montreal boroughs do business with Berger Blanc: Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Saint-Léonard and Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc Extension. Thirteen boroughs have contracts with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Montreal.
In 2011, the City of Montreal had planned to create a municipal animal center that could have accommodated up to 12,000 animals at Parc Angrignon. However, the project encountered several pitfalls. Another site in Saint-Michel had been considered, but the land turned out to be heavily contaminated. The costs of realization do not cease climbing, reaching 46 million, the City finally gave up this project.
Maja Vodanovic indicated Monday evening that the Montreal SPCA wanted to stop providing pound services to the City because it is not its primary mission. But the organization will continue to accompany the City, she said. “We will be helped by the SPCA, which will really play its role of animal protection mission on the island of Montreal, whether it be wildlife or domestic animals. »
The Plante administration intends to present a draft contract with Proanima at an upcoming meeting of the municipal council. “It will be more expensive because right now the SPCA is offering us a service that is paid for by donors, by all those who want to save the lives of animals,” she warned.
Founded in 2012, Proanima is an NPO offering animal management services in thirteen municipalities, including Longueuil, Boucherville, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
Speaking to city council on Monday, actress and activist Patricia Tulasne said she was pleasantly surprised to learn that the city was planning to stop doing business with Berger Blanc. In 2011, Radio-Canada presented a report showing images of mistreatment of dogs and cats, which led the City to consider running its own animal centre.