Quebec fur farmer pleads guilty in animal cruelty case dating back to 2014

MONTREAL — A Quebec fur farmer will face strict controls if he plans to continue in the business after pleading guilty to animal cruelty charges last week.

The case stems from a 2014 investigation into a farm about 65 kilometres east of Montreal that housed red foxes and minks found to be in terrible condition.

The SPCA, which conducted the probe, says there were three guilty pleas in the case — one to causing unnecessary suffering to foxes; one to neglecting them; and another to neglecting two dogs found on the property.

Jean-Luc Rodier received a $5,000 fine and 75 hours of community service in a sentence jointly recommended by the Crown and defence.

Attempts to reach Rodier on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

He’d initially faced six charges in November 2014.

The SPCA acted on a complaint and Sophie Gaillard of the Montreal branch said the conditions on the farm were deplorable when she visited more than three years ago.

She said the animals were dehydrated, living in cramped quarters and malnourished and two foxes had to be euthanized on the spot.

“Most importantly to us, for the next 15 years, he won’t be able to own or have the control or live with any animals with the only exception of mink,” said Gaillard.

“If he does continue to raise mink for fur, that’ll have to be done under veterinary supervision with reports being provided to the SPCA on a regular basis.”

She said what’s most horrific is that standard conditions for wild animals bred for commercial purposes are perfectly legal.

“Keeping wild animals in tiny, tiny cages, depriving them of the ability to express any type of natural behaviour and seeing them kept like this for years on end, it’s perfectly legal in Canada today,” Gaillard said.

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press

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