The Montreal branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said will appeal the court judgement on 28th September 2022 which did not stop the plans of a cull of more than 60 deer in the Longueuil’s Michel-Chartrand Park. The City of Longueuil was planning to kill the deer this autumn because they claim there isn’t enough food in the park to sustain their growing population, but the Sauvetage Animal Rescue group filed a lawsuit to stop the plan. The Superior Court did not agree with the animal protectionist and did not order to stop the plans. Now the decision will go to the Court of Appeal, and this may lead to postponing the cull until next year.
Anne-France Goldwater, a lawyer representing the animal protection group that initiated the lawsuit, said this before the hearing started: “The argument I’m bringing before the judge today is that there’s no need and no urgency to kill the herd of deer… when we have so many other plans to propose to save these beautiful animals.” Sophie Gaillard, Interim general manager of the SPCA, said, “The case of deer in Michel-Chartrand Park being emblematic of an issue that is gaining more and more significance in Quebec, our intervention tries to expand the debate and start a real reflection on the subject of responsible and ethical management of fauna in our communities.”
As the Civil Code of Quebec considers animals to be sentient beings, the SPCA believes the deer’s interest in staying alive should be taken into account. There are alternatives to lethal population control that could be taken, such as sterilization, chemical contraception, or even translocation to other areas.
