caacQ Members

Why should I adopt from a caacQ member?

caacQ encourages the public to adopt a companion animal from an affiliated caacQ member. They will help you find the animal that is the perfect match for you. In addition, all animals in our adoption centres are spayed or neutered before being adopted, an essential step to control the animal population and reduce the number of companion animals abandoned in Quebec.

• All animals are examined by a veterinarian and vaccinated as needed.
• All affiliated caacQ members spay/neuter their companion animals before adoption.
• The temperament and activity level of dogs and cats are assessed.
• A screening process for potential guardians is mandatory.
• Some caacQ members offer a trial period and the animals are microchipped.
• Affiliated caacQ members provide post-adoption support to help during the transition period.
• caacQ members do not impose a time limit on adoptable animals.

Adopt!

Why shouldn’t I buy a pet online?

Online advertising and classified-ad websites have created a new niche for unscrupulous breeders. Many producers with no ethics use this new channel to sell directly to consumers, avoiding intermediaries such as brokers and pet stores.

Puppy mills and producers frequently use online advertising and classified-ad websites.

Responsible breeders will not sell their animals through the internet or classified ads.

Be an informed buyer!
To learn more about responsible and ethical breeding versus unethical production, visit the Union pour le respect des animaux (UPRA) website click here.

Why shouldn’t I buy a pet from a pet store?

In Quebec, many pet stores obtain their animals from puppy mills, kitten mills, and animal brokers. Brokers and puppy-mill owners are not concerned at all with the pedigree, health, or temperament of the animal. Reports indicate it is more likely that animals from puppy or kitten mills are sick due to a lack of veterinary care and poor breeding practices, and that they may have emotional issues resulting from a lack of socialization and human contact. Thousands of animals confined in cages suffer daily to meet consumer demand for buying a pet. We also know that some pet stores purchase from backyard breeders, also called “backyard producers,” in order to project a better image than that of a puppy or kitten mill.

Responsible breeders will not sell their pets through pet stores because they want to meet and personally interview the person or people who will care for the animal.

To learn more about responsible and ethical breeding versus producers with no ethics, visit the Union pour le respect des animaux (UPRA) website click here.

caacQ supports responsible and ethical breeders.

Why should I spay/neuter my pet?

Spayed or neutered pets tend, on average, to live 2 to 3 years longer than those that are not.

Spaying/neutering protects pets from certain types of deadly cancers. A spayed or neutered pet will be less likely to run away and fight.

Dogs that have NOT been neutered are three times more likely to bite than others.

Your decision to be proactive and take the initiative to spay/neuter your pet will prevent the death and suffering of thousands of animals that have not yet been born. Your actions make a difference!

Not convinced you should spay/neuter your pet?

Click here to watch the Born to Die video. Viewer discretion advised.

To learn more about spaying/neutering from the Humane Society of the United States. Click here.