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
Board orders deportation for trucker in horrific Humboldt Broncos crash
The truck driver who caused the horrific bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team has been ordered to be deported.
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
A woman took her dog to a shelter to be euthanized. A year later, the dog is up for adoption again
Exhausted and short on options after consulting two veterinary clinics, Kristie Pereira made the gut-wrenching decision last year to take her desperately ill puppy to a Maryland shelter to be euthanized.
Group tied to Islamic State plotted fatal Ontario restaurant shooting: Crown
A gunman who is accused of killing a young Ontario man and shooting four of his family members at their small Mississauga restaurant in 2021 was allegedly part of a trio who had pledged allegiance to the listed terrorist group Islamic State, a Crown attorney said in an opening statement in the Brampton murder trial this week.
'A really bad car crash': Why health experts are raising concerns over surging syphilis cases
A sexually transmitted infection (STI) that was once thought to be a thing of the past is now a public health priority for North American doctors.
Purolator truck drivers from Guelph, Ont. save man walking in Hwy. 407 lanes
A pair of Purolator transport truck drivers from Guelph, Ont. are being hailed as heroes for their efforts in helping a person in crisis.
Trudeau responds to American senators calling on Canada to increase defence spending
Stopping short of offering the assurance U.S. senators are seeking, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is aware there's more work to do in order to see Canada meet NATO's defence spending target.
Toddler dies after being struck by recycling truck in Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood
A toddler has died after being struck by a recycling truck in a Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon.
Milk sold in Canadian grocery stores tested for avian influenza; results released
As avian flu spreads south of the border, Canadian officials are now testing samples of milk sold in grocery stores across the country.