Animal rights activists challenge the Longueuil deer cull in court
Animal rights advocates pleaded at the Longueuil courthouse Wednesday morning to halt the culling of more than 60 deer in the city's Michel-Chartrand Park.
The City of Longueuil was ready to put down the deer this fall, claiming there wasn't enough food in the park to sustain their growing population.
But the lawsuit from the Sauvetage Animal Rescue group put the project to a stop, at least until now.
"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," said Anne-France Goldwater, a lawyer representing animal rights activists.
She argued for an extension of the safeguard order that the court issued earlier in the spring.
Meanwhile, the city's experts say the deer cannot be relocated into the wild since their domestication in Longueuil made them too vulnerable to predators. Some residents have also complained that the deer jump over the park's fence and eat cedar trees on the city streets.
Still, the Montreal SPCA animal rights group, acting as an intervenor in the case, will also argue that the government should consider the deer's sentient nature and welfare.
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.
According to the organization, the City of Longueuil's bow-and-arrow culling method is "problematic."
"Bow hunting frequently causes wounds that do not kill the target animal instantly, such that the time to death can be prolonged and the animal remains conscious while dying from massive blood loss," the Montreal SPCA said in a press release on Tuesday.
Non-lethal population control methods such as sterilization or chemical contraception should be prioritized, the group added.
"Lethal methods should only be considered as a last resort."
Should the judge approve the extension, the City of Longueuil will not be able to execute its plan until next year.
With files from CTV Montreal's Stéphane Giroux
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.