The city of Montreal officially inaugurated its new state-of-the-art animal shelter on Friday to help care for the roughly 8,500 dogs and cats lost or abandoned on its territory each year.
The Proanima shelter, in a former auto dealership on Pie-IX Blvd. that was converted into an animal facility at a cost of $25 million, can house roughly 150 cats and 30 dogs at a time, along with rabbits and other wildlife.
In addition to recuperation and adoption, the shelter has a medical area for surgeries, sterilizations and vaccinations, offers temporary shelter services for those in need, and organizes educational programs to reduce the number of abandonments and encounters with aggressive dogs.
Bright and airy, with large enclosures for dogs and cats who have longer stays, the shelter was built to the latest norms in animal housing, said Vincent Paradis, director of animal care for Proanima. Specialized ventilation limits odours and segmented holding areas cuts down on noise, both of which can stress animals already in distress.
The centre has roughly 100 employees, including six full-time veterinarians and 12 employees who drive throughout the city to pick up animals.
Residents at Proanima, Montreal’s newly opened animal shelter in the east end.
It expects to take in 7,500 dogs and cats annually (75% cats) that are lost, abandoned or in need of services.
There’s a « pay-what-u-can » adoption event this weekend. pic.twitter.com/nnrZAPbj1Z
— Rene Bruemmer (@ReneBruemmer) May 8, 2026
The city chose the east end of the city because it is the region that sees the highest rate of animals abandoned or put up for adoption. Demerged municipalities will continue to use the services of the SPCA and Vaudreuil-Soulanges Animal Control.
In 2023, when the new centre was announced, city officials said another one would be built in the west end in 2028. On Friday, however, Luis Miranda, the city’s executive committee member responsible for residents’ services and the mayor of Anjou, said those plans are no longer in place.
The city is ending its contract with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, but the SPCA will continue to operate in its location on Jean-Talon Blvd. W. The SPCA, which handled 14,000 animals last year, will continue to take in animals, while focusing more on investigative services involving animal cruelty and abuse.
“We’ve been around for 157 years, we’ve been sheltering animals for 115 years, and we will continue to do so, both here in Montreal and in the Eastern Townships,” said Sylvie Bourbonnière, director of SPCA Montreal. She estimated they would still take in roughly 10,000 animals a year.
The new shelter, which was originally slated to be built by the city in 2016, opened on Jan. 1 and has taken in roughly 1,300 cats, dogs, rabbits and other animals so far. It is being run by Proanima, which has operated animal shelter services on the South Shore of Montreal since 2012 and was recommended by the SPCA. Overall construction and operating costs for 10 years are $150 million.
The euthanization rate at Proanima centres and for the SPCA is around five to 15 per cent and is only used as a last resort for animals that are too ill or dangerous to be put up for adoption, Paradis said.
The number of dogs and cats that were lost or abandoned in Montreal’s 19 boroughs dropped from 13,800 in 2014 (11,000 cats, 2,800 dogs) to 8,500 in 2024 (7,000 cats, 1,500 dogs), according to figures compiled by Proanima. Paradis credits the drop to better awareness campaigns and improved services in which animal control experts can counsel owners on how they can keep their pets.
The shelter has temporary holding services for people who are moving and can’t find a place for their animals, or for victims of intimate-partner violence who need time to find new lodgings.
Although abandonment rates in Montreal have improved, Paradis cautioned that the spectre of animal abuse and shelters or dog breeders who keep their animals in inhumane conditions persists throughout Quebec.
“We are fortunate here, but this should be the norm,” he said. “You just have to scratch the surface a bit to find places that should not be allowed to operate.”
The shelter is holding a “pay-what-you-can” adoption event this weekend. Normally adopting a cat or dog costs between $200 to $300, although there are programs for people with low incomes. Contrary to the past, when prospective owners were sometimes grilled on their ability to care for a pet, shelters are much more easygoing about animal adoption.
“We figure if you have come out to adopt a dog or a cat, you’re probably a good candidate,” he said.
Anyone needing animal services can call Proanima at 514-379-2525.