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On Thursday April 21 at 20:00 Radio Canada’s investigative program Enquête presents a disturbing exposé of Berger Blanc, the for-profit business entrusted with control of, and care for, Montréal’s exploding population of unwanted companion animals, a population which has now reached crisis proportions. This program, Mauvais Berger, exposes Berger Blanc’s abysmal standards of animal care and customer service, and lack of promotion of responsible pet ownership.
The images and issues addressed in Mauvais Berger invite a wider consideration of how this for-profit business, unrestrained by weak municipal by-laws, inadequate provincial legislation or effective monitoring, thrives on an ever-expanding supply of abandoned animals. Berger Blancs’ disregard of this fundamental problem of overpopulation ensures a constant flow of ‘clients’, and hence its own financial advancement.
Further, a lack of insistence on rigorous contractual accountability by the municipalities who deal with Berger Blanc aggravates this disgraceful situation. Neither the treatment and ultimate fate of the more than 30,000 animals transiting annually through the Berger Blanc (with sky-high euthanasia rates), nor the exact use of taxpayers’ cash, appear to be of significant concern for any of those associated with this scandalous enterprise.
Mauvais Berger will be repeated on Radio Canada on April 23rd at 1pm, on RDI on April 24 at 6pm and April 25 at 2am EST, and will be available on-line from April 22 onwards at www.radio-canada.ca/emissions/enquete/2010-2011; click on “Regardez l’intégrale” just below the broadcast date.
