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Voyage of the damned Miaouf Adoption's 200 cats, 200 dogs, two monkeys and one woman need a new home yet again by PHILIP PREVILLE
Then there's the barn and another makeshift shelter, each of which houses 100 cats each. Then there are the doghouses, over 200 of them, laid out in rows across virtually the entire tract of land, each home to one canine. It's an animal shelter unlike any other, and even Louise Gagnon herself didn't imagine things quite this way. Seventeen years ago, Gagnon created Miaouf Adoption, an animal shelter whose mandate is to never euthanize its animals. "I think it's horrendous to put down unwanted pets just because they're ugly and no one wants them," says Gagnon, her arms covered with scratches from the wear and tear of caring for so many animals. "I run an orphanage here, not a shelter." For most of those 17 years, Miaouf Adoption operated with a more manageable population, somewhere between 200 and 250 cats and dogs. But over the past three years the number of animals has skyrocketed to over 400, and the increase in numbers has brought with it a litany of complaints from neighbours, civic authorities and landlords. Now, for the second time in less than a year, Miaouf is being evicted from its property. And while Gagnon is a fighter, she is quietly losing hope that Miaouf will ever find a suitable home. It would be no stretch to say that the past year has been a difficult one for Louise Gagnon. For its first 16 years, Miaouf was located on a plot of land on the outskirts of St-Hilaire. As Miaouf got bigger and bigger, Gagnon financed Miaouf's operations through municipal contracts: Miaouf became the dogcatcher for 14 South Shore municipalities. She saved enough money to purchase her land. But the town expanded as fast as her shelter; the nearby development of condos and a golf course resulted in angry residents and putters alike. A lengthy five-year battle ensued with the town of St-Hilaire; after disobeying more than one court order to vacate the premises, she finally moved to the current location in St-Simon last fall. At first, the St-Simon location seemed too good to be true. The shelter is separated from the town itself by a private two-kilometre dirt road, which Gagnon figured would ensure appropriate distance from local residents. But the road turned out to be made of quicksand; it becomes a total mess after a rainfall and is completely impassable during the winter. Miaouf lost all its dogcatching contracts as a result, and the flow of funds dried up. Gagnon says she had originally wanted to purchase the land in St-Simon but balked when she realized the shape the road was in. According to Gagnon, this angered her current landlord, Louis Rioux, who wanted to sell. Then last spring, a complaint was lodged with the Commission de la protection du territoire agricole, accusing Miaouf of using agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes. The Commission upheld the complaint and ordered Gagnon off the property by June 22. "As far as the government's concerned, we're squatters," she says. Gagnon has yet to find a suitable new location. Gagnon also needs a buyer for her land in St-Hilaire and she needs more volunteers to help care for the animals. She also needs people to adopt some pets. She has written to Premier Lucien Bouchard to appeal for help. "This is a political issue as far as I'm concerned," says Gagnon, who is now well-versed in dealing with politicians. "If Miaouf can't find a home, then there is simply no place in our society for these animals. "We exercise the right to kill without much on our conscience. It's totally irresponsible. Deciding to exercise the right to let live means making a commitment. And these animals don't ask for much." Miaouf Adoption is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who can find a suitable site for relocation. If you have information or would like to adopt a pet or make a donation, call (514) 446-5314 |
Louise Gagnon lives in a tiny two-bedroom house on a small farm in St-Simon, about an hour's drive south of downtown Montreal. It's a home she shares with six dogs, three dozen cats and two monkeys. That's not taking into account the raccoon on the back porch.