Prison Sentence of 23 Months handed down for Cruel Treatment of Sled Dogs.
Rewritten Article:
In a shocking turn of events, the sentence handed down to Antoine Simard, the disgraceful former owner of Expédition Mi-Loup, has been revealed. After revealing a decade-long history of animal torture and neglect, Judge Hubert Couture of the Quebec Court has sentenced Simard to 23 months in detention – the most severe punishment ever meted out for animal cruelty in Quebec.
Located on Orleans Island, Expédition Mi-Loup was a dog sledding company where Simard, overwhelmed by the numerous births in his kennel, allegedly resorted to heinous measures to kill the dogs in his care. These methods included creating makeshift gas chambers, actions dubbed as "great cruelty" by the presiding judge, who refused to specify the exact number of dogs that perished.
Speaking during the sentencing, Judge Couture emphasized the unacceptable nature of Simard's actions, stressing on the changed legal status of animals in Quebec. Since 2015, they are recognized as "sentient beings" rather than mere property, hence the harsh sentence imposed on Simard. Besides the prison term, the judge also banned Simard from owning animals for a decade and imposed three years of probation post-release.
Reacting to the sentence, Sophie Gaillard, director of animal defense and legal and government affairs at the Montreal SPCA, expressed hope that this would mark a turning point in animal cruelty cases in Quebec. Gaillard felt that Quebec had been lagging behind other provinces, and the sentence could have been harsher elsewhere based on Mr. Simard's actions.
As for Simard's lawyer, there was no immediate response when contacted by Le Devoir.
A Symptom of Lack of Regulation?
"We should not overlook the factors that led to this dreadful scenario," Gaillard pointed out. While there are over 130 dog sledding establishments in the province housing nearly 5000 dogs, the sector remains unregulated, leading to abhorrent practices such as chaining dogs to posts for hours, if not days.
The Montreal SPCA advocates for regulation in the sector to prevent another Expédition Mi-Loup incident. Proposed measures include control of dog reproduction, a limit on the number of dogs individual companies can own, and the implementation of retirement plans for animals. This is crucial to ensure that animals aren't treated as mere commodities, as has been the case in the past.
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Enrichment Data:
Regulatory gaps in Quebec's dog sledding industry are a concern; proposed solutions include independent monitoring of kennels, implementation of livestock transport reforms, and public reporting of animal injuries/deaths associated with tour operations. These measures are aimed at promoting humane treatment of animals in Quebec's tourism sector.
- The general-news and crime-and-justice sectors reported a historic sentence for Antoine Simard, the disgraceful former owner of Expédition Mi-Loup, a French dog sledding company in the provinces of Quebec.
- The highest punishment ever meted out for animal cruelty in Quebec was a 23-month detention term, accompanied by a decade-long ban on owning animals and three years of probation post-release.
- The Montreal SPCA, led by Sophie Gaillard, called for increased regulation within Quebec's dog sledding sector to prevent unethical treatments like chaining dogs for extended periods.
- Regulatory reforms in the Quebec dog sledding industry are suggested to include independent monitoring of kennels, livestock transport reforms, and public reporting of animal injuries or deaths associated with tour operations, to promote humane treatment of animals in the province's tourism sector.
