When it was announced that horse-drawn carriages, or calèches, would be banned in the City of Montreal as of December 31, 2019, people worried about what would become of the horses.
Today, the Montreal SPCA announced they have partnered with the City of Montreal to provide assistance to horse-drawn carriage owners in Montreal, and to ensure continued care for the horses.
“The Montreal SPCA was originally founded in 1869 to improve the living conditions of work horses in Montreal. One hundred fifty years later, we are continuing our efforts to improve the welfare of all animals. We are pleased to work with the City of Montreal to protect these horses and find them new homes where they can enjoy a peaceful retirement,” said Sophie Gaillard, lawyer and Director of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal SPCA .
The two-year service agreement with the SPCA will cover, among other things:
- Processing of requests from horse owners to benefit from the program coordinated by the Montreal SPCA.
- Management of the horses’ placement by the Montreal SPCA, in collaboration with Galahad, the Quebec Association for the Protection of Horses, with a view to finding them adoptive homes.
- Financial compensation of $1,000 for each horse eligible for the program.
Horse owners will be able to apply to benefit from the new measures beginning on May 1st, 2019 via the Montreal SPCA’s website.
The financial incentive was devised as a means of preventing horses from going to slaughter. It is hoped that compensation of $1,000 will be more attractive to owners than the money – approximately $500-$800 – they would receive from an abattoir.
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