‘Leave or get rid of your dog’: Montreal pet owners say they’re facing eviction

Cameron Mackay-Bee and his dog Jasper have lived in their NDG apartment for the better part of a decade — but their future together is uncertain.

According to Mackay-Bee, his lease says “no pets,” but it wasn’t a problem until the building was sold to new owners in December 2021.

He says he received a letter soon afterwards.

“So this company just came in and said, ‘since it’s not on your lease that you’re allowed to have a dog, we’re going to give you 25 days to either leave or get rid of your dog,” he told CTV News.

Other pet owners in the building say they were given the same notice. According to tenants, those 25 days have come and gone, leaving them unsure what to do.

“We really loved the neighbourhood and everything, but it’s not peaceful to stay here anymore. We started to have a lot of anxiety and stress,” said tenant Sarah Lefevre.

For tenant Matt McCue, there’s “no good outcome” in sight.

“You know my dog is like a member of the family, so having to choose, having to be forced to choose between either your home or another member of the family, it’s an impossible situation to be put in,” he said.

CTV News reached out to the building’s owner but didn’t get a response in time for publication.

LIMITED OPTIONS

Some of the apartment’s tenants are looking for new accommodations, but it hasn’t been easy.

Rent is more expensive these days: a February report for the renting platform rentals.ca showed the average price of a Montreal two-bedroom apartment went up 5.9 per cent in 2021.

Tenants say it’s even harder to find affordable places that accept dogs.

“So I might have to go as far as an hour out of Montreal just to make sure I have a spot for [Jasper],” said Mackay-Bee.

In partnership with Quebec solidaire (QS), the Montreal SPCA has launched a petition asking the government to halt pet bans in apartments.

According to them, only 4.2 per cent of landlords accept dogs, meaning it’s slim pickings for tenants and their pups.

BARKING AND BATHROOM TROUBLES

Some landlords argue no-pet clauses are necessary for the wellbeing of buildings and their occupants.

In early April, after the SPCA petition was announced, Martin Messier told CTV News pets can be a disturbance and trigger allergies.

“Very often we have other tenants that are preoccupied with the fact that the landlord may or may not accept animals in the building,” said Messier, who is the president of the Quebec Landlords Association.

He said some pet owners do not “act in the best interest of either their pets or their neighbours” by leaving their dogs alone too long, leading to excessive barking and sanitation issues.

“We’ve seen cases of units almost having to be fully restored because the pet was doing his business inside,” he said. “There’s no way to legally ask for a security deposit so landlords are concerned for damages that may be caused to their unit.”

--With files from CTV’s Daniel Rowe