This article written in french by Corinne Prince was automatically translated using AI
The news came during the municipal council meeting on Wednesday, October 1: starting in November, the City of Laval will launch a pilot project in partnership with the SPCA Lanaudière Basses-Laurentides to help manage the stray cat population in the area.
It took the Municipality more than three years to develop this long-awaited and repeatedly requested Trap-Neuter-Release-Maintain (TNRM) program, advocated by volunteers concerned about animal welfare.
Christine Péron, a Laval-des-Rapides resident, attended the last eight municipal council meetings to raise awareness for this cause. On October 1, she finally saw her wish come true: by amending by-law L-12430 on animals, Laval made it possible to implement such a program.
“This is very good news for Laval’s stray cats and for those who do everything they can to help them,” said Ms. Péron with delight. “We will now have access to a wonderful organization that will allow us to help even more cats. It’s unfortunate that it took so long and that we had to fight so hard to get here […]. I look forward to learning more about the details of the program.”
Pilot Project
The SPCA Lanaudière Basses-Laurentides won the public tender issued by the City of Laval earlier this summer and will deploy the TNRM program in the region.
In addition to controlling births through sterilization and deworming rescued animals, the program will also support the adoption of social cats, as well as relocating semi-social or non-adoptable cats to farms, barns, or stables.
After a behavioral and medical evaluation, cats deemed adoptable will be placed in foster homes.
Laval will invest $70,000 annually in this pilot project, initially set to last one year. The funding may be renewed for a second year depending on the results. The investment would allow the sterilization of more than 300 cats per year, with the help of citizen volunteers.
“We have listened to you,” said Christine Poirier, municipal councillor for Duvernay–Pont-Viau and responsible for animal management, during the October 1 council meeting. “This project is a great example of a thoughtful approach to setting up an effective solution, one that ensures Laval taxpayers’ dollars are used efficiently, with animal welfare in mind, of course.”
The official agreement with the SPCA is currently being drafted and is expected to be signed by the end of the month.
“The SPCA’s role will be limited to implementing the TNRM program for stray cats,” explained Carolanne L. Gagnon, public affairs advisor for the City of Laval. “[Le Berger Blanc] will continue to provide the full range of animal services covered by its contract with the City, including intake, adoption, patrol, animal pickup, and 24/7 emergency services.”
The pilot project is expected to launch in November in neighborhoods where stray cat issues have been reported in complaints received by the City over the past five years. These areas have not yet been confirmed, but selection will be based on “the volume of requests related to stray cats, the presence of physical or natural barriers (highways, rivers), the predominance of residential versus agricultural areas, and the feasibility of field follow-up.”
“By concentrating efforts in these neighborhoods, it will be possible to measure the project’s impact before considering its expansion,” the Municipality noted in its media communication.
Volunteer Involvement
The City emphasizes that citizen involvement is essential to the project’s success, whether through caring for colonies or reporting sites where cats gather. Capture traps may only be installed with authorization from those in charge.
After a resident expressed her interest in volunteering for the cause during the council meeting, the councillor for Duvernay–Pont-Viau mentioned that “the volunteer component [was] not yet determined,” but details would be shared soon.
What is known, however, is that the pilot project will be coordinated by a City employee, in collaboration with the nonprofit, and that volunteers can express their interest by contacting 311 or through the MonDossier platform.
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