Two Montreal boroughs ditch private pound

[cpietra16]

Having dealt with them....this is good news!!!!


By CBC News, cbc.ca, Updated: May 4, 2011 2:16 PM
Two Montreal boroughs ditch private pound


Two boroughs have dropped the services of Berger Blanc, which was the subject of a Radio-Canada investigation on the inhumane treatment of animals in April.
Two Montreal boroughs are terminating their contracts with the Berger Blanc private pound following allegations of animals being mistreated.

An investigation by Radio-Canada's Enquête program broadcast in April showed footage of questionable euthanasia practices.

At a borough meeting last night, Cote-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grâce officials voted to end its contract immediately, despite being obligated to give 30 days notice to the pound.

Mayor Michael Applebaum said the borough will pay Berger Blanc for the 30 days, but will not use its services.

"It's not a question of cost, it's a question of the welfare of our animals," Applebaum said when asked about the $10,000 the borough will lose.

The SPCA will take over services for the borough immediately.

Meanwhile, the Plateau Mont-Royal borough has also voted not to renew its contract with Berger Blanc, which runs out next month.

Councillor Piper Huggins told CBC News she has been receiving complaints from citizens for the past year.

The Enquête investigation showed animals being given given lethal injections without being sedated first, in violation of North American veterinarian standards.

Employees trained at the pound were in charge of administering needles, rather than a veterinarian.

Eight boroughs still use pound

There are eight other boroughs across the city that use the private pound's services, which is hired by the individual boroughs instead of the central city administration.

Huggins said she will present a motion at the next city council meeting asking for a committee to be created to oversee animal management.

The city of Montreal is expected to make an announcement about the pound soon.

Berger Blanc refused to comment Tuesday.

The private pound handles more than 30,000 animals a year, which is about half of Montreal's abandoned pet population.

[Melinda]

yipee, there is a thread started somewhere about the dealings at berger blanc and the newspapers accounts etc. only two posters seemed to have commented. but it sure interests me.


http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....t=berger+blanc

[marko]

It interests me very much as well.
I have a lot of experience w/montreal's spca but almost none with berger blanc.

I can say that a few years ago I lived very close to berger blanc and went in and offered to be a volunteer dogwalker. They told me they had no such program. I told them I didn't care that there was no program and that it would be my pleasure to regularly walk their dogs and that I have experience. They said no....and that was that. It left a very sour taste in my mouth.

But What is really strange to me are the boroughs that are/were affiliated with berger blanc.

Both NDG and CDN are like 1-4 kilometers from the SPCA. The berger blanc is close to the tip of the Island and is over 20 KM farther. How does that make sense? If there are 2 city pounds shouldn't they service the boroughs CLOSEST to them?

What am I missing?

[Melinda]

kick backs?

[marko]

That's an odd answer Melinda but I don't know much about it.

If that IS the case then the dealmakers in NDG and CDN should be fired.

OBVIOUSLY if my dog was lost I would expect that the pound that is 2 kms from my house should get the call - NOT the pound that's 20 kms away and has no subway system close by....that's just dumb and a disservice to both pets and pet owners.

[Melinda]

the more dogs/cats pts, supposedly the more they were paid. so lets make a deal, you "burough" support me and I'll slip you XX amount? I'm guessing here...and going by what I've heard from different people around our spca

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by marko

What am I missing?

Costs or corruption. BB may have offered cheaper services or there was a buddy-buddy system between BB and the Boroughs.