Quebec has convicted 203 crimes related to animal welfare and safety between June 2020 and June 2022. Our investigative office has identified those who have been caught the most. Here we present one of the worst cases. We have also received reports with photos from the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ). Some offenders agreed to present their version of the facts, while others declined our interview requests.
Donald Girard owns very sad chicken coops. The MAPAQ visited him several times on his land in the middle of the woods in the Charlevoix region.
He was specifically convicted in January and April 2021 for compromising the safety of his animals and failing to ensure his birds were in an enclosed enclosure with no access outside.
Reports of crime show that in one of Mr Girard’s two chicken coops, dead chickens were trampled on by those that were still alive.
Photo provided by MAPAQ
“Each inspection finds dead chickens all over the property. Dogs even have fun with some carcasses on September 15, 2020. These are in different stages of decomposition,” says the inspector.
Live birds, on the other hand, often had wounds on their backs or were featherless.
Photo provided by MAPAQ
There was also a lack of feed in the automatic feeders, according to the fact report dated January 28, 2021.
In September 2020, inspectors had also discovered bones and bodies of dead animals, including a cow and two ducks. A goat was dying.
We could not reach Mr Girard or his wife.