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NEWS & ANALYSIS

Tireless Tassé busier than ever

By Dan Delmar The Suburban The holiday season was far from merry at times for those who work to help neglected and abandoned Montreal dogs. Johanne Tassé, founder of the Companion Animal Adoption Centres of Quebec (CAACQ), is alarmed at the number of abandoned pets this holiday season and told The Suburban that the situation is as dire as ever. ?In 13 years of volunteering for animal welfare, we have never received so many calls to surrender dogs,? she said, pointing to the recession as the main culprit. For some families, ?it?s between a Christmas present and a bag of dog food.? Through her French Connection program, Tassé has helped save the lives of 436 dogs since May 2008. She has no pay and is often the only thing separating unwanted, unloved dogs from certain death. The CAACQ is a network of shelters that aims to match lovable pets with responsible owners. A former textile saleswoman, Tassé was the victim of downsiz- Managing Director Dr. Charles Rawas Johanne Tassé with dogs from adoption agency AniMatch. ing and found herself looking for some meaningful work. Shocked by irresponsible animal control policies at every level of government and a growing overcrowding problem at local shelters, she set out to quietly rescue dogs slated for unjustified euthanasia. The overpopulation problem is so severe in Quebec that Tassé said, for a time, dogs with mild afflictions like kennel cough or ear infections would be put down simply because there was no room for them at the Montreal SPCA. The post-Pierre Barnoti administration, however, is more likely to use the euthanasia option only as a last resort. Instead, Tassé coordinates the transport of healthy dogs to Toronto every week or two. There, they find homes in an average of two to three days while in Montreal, they could either be left at the SPCA for months on end or put to sleep. Around Christmas time, another 30 homeless dogs were transported from Montreal to Hamilton, Ontario where there are plenty of free spots at the local SPCA. These trips are expensive; Tassé said each one costs roughly $600 and she encourages generous Montrealers and those in the business community to help sponsor the trips. ?Until we find solutions at the municipal and provincial level in Quebec, we need to do these transports,? she said. ?Right now, to surrender a dog at this time of year would be cruel. The adoption centres are overflowing, the shelters are overflowing? (those who can?t deal with pets anymore) must hold onto dogs until at least after the holidays.? The situation has become so serious that the SPCA Laurentides-Labelle is even offering bags of dog food for residents in the Laurentians who are considering surrendering their pets. Tassé said last year that she doesn?t know how much longer she?ll be able to do this kind of work; but there is no end in sight. She criss-crosses the greater Montreal area, picking up dogs from homes that have no place for them, bringing them to shelters where they have a fighting chance and, if need be, sending them down the 401. ?If I don?t do it, who will?? Tassé is looking for financial supporters, drivers, on-site volunteers, organizers and anyone else who can help get the message out. ?Exhausted,? she can?t even begin to tackle Montreal?s growing stray cat problem. Between the SPCA, their competitor Berger Blanc and other area shelters, the number of cats euthanized every year has hit the fivefigure mark. Donations can be made through the CAACQ?s website, www.caacq.ca, or by mail: 50 St. Charles Blvd., Beaconsfield, QC,

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