Longueuil must wait for Court of Appeal decision before culling deer

The City of Longueuil will not be able to proceed with the culling of deer in Michel-Chartrand Park until the Quebec Court of Appeal renders a decision on a Superior Court judgment in the matter.

The Quebec Court of Appeal heard an appeal on Friday in Montreal from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Sauvetage Animal Rescue. Pending the Court of Appeal's decision, the city will not be able to proceed with the slaughter.

The Superior Court had recently refused to order the suspension of the slaughter project that the City of Longueuil was planning to undertake this fall. However, the Quebec Court of Appeal granted the request of the SPCA and Sauvetage Animal Rescue to appeal the decision.

The Quebec Court of Appeal has not given any indication of when it plans to issue its decision.

The Montreal SPCA argues that capturing and killing wild animals simply because they are believed to be a nuisance is no longer socially acceptable today. It says that there are examples of responsible, ethical and innovative wildlife management elsewhere, based on science and supported by expert advice.

The City of Longueuil, citing the urgent need to act on the exploding deer population in Michel-Chartrand Park, states that the current impasse is seriously damaging the balance of biodiversity in the park and the regeneration of vegetation.

The city also claimed that there is an increased risk of traffic collisions and an increase in cases of Lyme disease, which deer carry.

Since 2017, the deer herd at Michel-Chartrand Park has tripled to about 108, while the capacity of the park is only for about 10 to 15 deer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 25, 2022.