Animal rights activists want to take Longueuil, Quebec to court over deer cull
Animal rights activists have filed a lawsuit against the City of Longueuil and the Quebec government for what they are calling an "unnecessary and cruel slaughter" to control the deer population at Michel-Chartrand Park in the borough of Le Vieux-Longueuil.
The lawsuit is being led by Sauvetage Animal Rescue, alongside a local resident and lawyer Anne-France Goldwater.
"There are organizations like our friends at the wildlife protection group Sauvetage Animal Rescue who have developed and continue to develop expertise in order to save these animals," said Goldwater. "There are municipalities that have come forward and are willing to receive many of these animals on vast tracts of protected land."
Goldwater is accusing the City of Longueuil of years of "inaction," saying current solutions proposed "are not without some risk to the deer but are certainly better than a mass slaughter."
Last November, Longueuil, one of Quebec's largest cities, returned to its original plan to cull the deer population at Michel-Chartrand Park by euthanizing the excess population and donating the meat to local food banks.
The recommendation was made as part of a report by a committee in charge of analyzing the best way to sustain the park's overall ecosystem.
It was composed of local residents, environmental organizations, as well as university and governmental experts.
Some of the issues discovered by the committee include "trees devastated by the emerald ash borer, proliferation of invasive exotic species, overpopulation of [malnourished] deer and those consequences on the regeneration of the flora," it said.
Sauvetage Animal Rescue is now proposing a new plan to treat the deer.
This would include:
- Trapping and treating them for parasites before evaluating their health for travel;
- Neutering them;
- Transporting and releasing the ones cleared for travel to new locations;
- Providing long-term veterinary care and feeding them.
"Our group has been encouraging the city and the ministry to work together to find a humane solution for more than two years now," said Éric Dussault, general manager of Sauvetage Animal Rescue. "We have always been ready to help with our expertise and our equipment, but unfortunately, a certain administrative burden has slowed us down."
Goldwater is now petitioning the Quebec Superior Court to force the Ministry of Forests, Fauna and Parks (MFFP) and the City of Longueuil to avoid euthanizing any deer until the case is heard.
She says she also wants the governments to work with experts "who have a humane alternative plan to culling available," while complying with Quebec’s Animal Welfare and Safety Act.
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.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
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.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
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.
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.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
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.