MONTREAL – Two national animal advocacy groups have filed an application for judicial review in Quebec Superior Court, arguing that the provincial government is unlawfully allowing fur farming to continue despite knowing that the practice likely violates Québec’s animal welfare laws.
Through this lawsuit, Animal Justice and The Fur-Bearers are asking the Court to declare that the government’s failure to take any action to address unlawful animal suffering on fur farms is unreasonable, and to order the government to take action.
Government documents obtained by the Montreal SPCA show that since 2022, officials at Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) have warned that conditions on the province’s fox and mink fur farms do not meet the biological needs of the animals and the industry does not ensure for their welfare.
An internal report accordingly recommends that fur farming be banned. Officials also acknowledge a ban would have no economic impact as the industry is in steep decline. Quebec’s animal welfare law includes a requirement for fur farms to obtain a permit, but that provision has never been brought into force. The province’s failure to take any steps to oversee or ban fur farming leaves vulnerable animals to endure extreme physical and psychological suffering.
The three opposition parties in Quebec have also committed to ban fur farming. While MAPAQ’s own experts recommend ending the practice in the province, the Quebec government has allowed fur farms to keep operating.
Fur farms keep wild fur-bearing animals, such as foxes and minks, confined in tiny, wire-bottomed cages for their entire lives before being killed solely for their pelts. Animals are typically confined in barren, filthy conditions that prevent them from engaging in the most basic natural behaviours. Foxes are killed by anal electrocution—a process known to cause extreme fear and distress.
Because fur farming is inhumane and poses significant zoonotic disease risks, it has been banned by a growing list of countries around the world, including the UK, Italy, Ireland, Norway, and France. British Columbia banned mink fur farming in 2021 following COVID-19 outbreaks at mink fur farms in that province and other jurisdictions.
“Despite knowing fur farms likely don’t respect Quebec’s own laws, the government has failed to take any action for years. It’s time for the courts to step in,” said Alanna Devine, Montreal-based lawyer and director of advocacy with Animal Justice. “We are asking the Court to confirm that by turning its back on extreme and unnecessary animal suffering on fur farms, the government has acted unlawfully. Now is the time for Quebec to do the right thing and ban fur farming for good.”
“There is a growing body of scientific evidence and international support for ending fur farming due to the animal welfare, public health, and environmental impacts,” says Lesley Fox, Executive Director at The Fur-Bearers. “Quebec can be a leader in Canada by taking action now to end fur farming provincially.”
The lawsuit was filed today in Quebec Superior Court. Animal Justice and The Fur-Bearers are represented by Marie-Claude St-Amant of Melançon Marceau Grenier Cohen.
Contact:
Alanna Devine
Lawyer and Director of Advocacy, Animal Justice
[email protected]
Lesley Fox
Executive Director, The Fur-Bearers
[email protected]
