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The SPCA has seized more than 100 exotic animals from the St-Édouard Zoo in Mauricie, Que and charged the zoo owner with animal cruelty.
The owner, Normand Trahan, is facing two counts of animal cruelty and neglect covering over 100 animals kept on the premises, including lions, tigers, zebras, bears, wolves, kangaroos, and primates.
The accused, who was placed under arrest yesterday morning, faces a five-year prison term and a lifetime ban on having custody or control of an animal.
As for the animals at the zoo, they are currently being seized by the SPCA as part of an operation that began yesterday.
The Montreal SPCA first visited the St-Édouard Zoo in August 2018 after receiving a report of mistreatment by visitors of the zoo.
Animal protection officers obtained a search warrant and entered the premises with a veterinarian.
The Montreal SPCA says that their investigators found several significant problems regarding the physical state of the animals and their living conditions.
Officers seized two alpacas that were in particularly poor health. They also discovered the bodies of four animals found deceased on the property, including two tigers.
This intervention, combined with additional investigation findings, led to the criminal charges announced yesterday.
To the SPCA’s knowledge, this is the first time a zoo owner has ever been charged with criminal animal cruelty in Canada.
“In addition to being a first in Canada in terms of the type of institution concerned, this is also the first time in Quebec history that animal cruelty charges are laid by way of indictment, a type of prosecution reserved for the most serious offenses and which opens the door to much harsher penalties,” notes Sophie Gaillard, lawyer and director of animal advocacy at the Montreal SPCA.
The Montreal SPCA is working with Humane Society International (HSI), an organization that specializes in mass animal rescue operation.
“We have begun inspecting the facilities with our veterinarian in order to assess the animals’ health, determine which individuals require urgent care and document their living conditions,” explains Gaillard.
“We will then begin transporting the seized animals to new housing facilities, where they will receive all the specialized care they require. Given the number of animals involved and the species we are dealing with, this is an extremely complex operation which could last several weeks, she adds.
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