Wild animals

• It is strictly prohibited to feed wild animals.
• Never approach wild animals or baby birds, even if they are injured or very young.
• Avoid feeding pets outdoors.
• Keep your household garbage in animal-resistant bins.
• Keep your dog on a leash and only walk on marked trails.
• Keep your cat indoors, particularly at night.
• Pick up fruit that has fallen from trees, as it is a food source for wild animals.
• Block access to your property, balcony, shed and garden.

If a wild animal causes damage to your property, you can identify the animal on the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs Web site (in French). If you still cannot identify the animal, the Web site also provides useful tips and photos of each animal species.

There are simple measures you can take to control wild animals. Because these pests depend on resources found around our homes, sealing off access to these resources often solves the problem.

The SPCA Roussillon is responsible for collecting and managing stray pets and any other types of injured, dead or threatening animals on our territory 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. To report any such animals, contact directly the SPCA Roussillon at 450-638-9698, on Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or to info@spcaroussillon.com.

Outside of the opening hours of the SPCA Roussillon, if an animal poses a potential danger, contact the Service de police de l’agglomération de Longueuil (SPAL), which has a direct line to the SPCA Roussillon patrol team at all times.

Coyotes are about the same size as German shepherds. They are usually taller than the height of a person’s knee. Their hair is normally grey and the tip of their tail is black. They are also recognizable by their big ears.

• • Stay calm.
  • Give the coyote the space it needs to move away.
  • Never let your dog interact with a coyote.
  • Keep your dog close or carry your dog in your arms.
  • Move away, but never turn your back on the coyote.
  • Always maintain visual contact with the coyote.
  • Do not run.

• Make yourself bigger by raising your arms, making noise or yelling to scare the coyote.

• Throw objects in the coyote’s direction, without targeting the coyote directly so as not to make it more aggressive.

• Contact 911 in the event of an emergency.

• The rabies virus is only found among mammals. Rabies can be transmitted from mammal to mammal and to humans. It is a fatal brain disease for humans.
• Wild mammals in Quebec (e.g.: bats, skunks, foxes and raccoons) are the main source of the rabies virus.
• Fortunately, there is a vaccine against rabies which, when administered after contact with an infected animal, prevents the disease from developing.

• Rabies is transmitted by a bite or scratch from an infected animal. It can also be transmitted by the saliva of an infected animal that comes into contact with an unhealed cut or a mucus membrane (e.g.: mouth, eye, nose).
• Wild animals can transmit rabies directly to humans or indirectly by infecting domestic animals which can then transmit rabies to humans.
• In Quebec, there are 8 species of bats. In all regions of Quebec, all the species of bats are at high risk of being infected with the rabies virus.

• Remember, never touch a bat whether it is alive or dead;
• Be careful about any contact with a bat: a cut, bite or anything else from a bat can sometimes go undetected;
• All physical contact with a bat must be carefully assessed. Bats can even bite through bags and some gloves;
• Advice for parents of young children:
  • Question your own or any child to find out if there has been physical contact with a wild animal (including bats) or a domestic animal;
  • Teach children the steps to take in the presence of an unknown animal: not to feed, touch or approach it and inform an adult about its presence. Never touch a bat.

• Vaccinate your pets against rabies in consultation with your veterinarian;
• Consult a veterinarian if your pet has been bitten by or come into contact with a wild animal that can potentially transmit rabies;
• Take steps to avoid attracting wild animals to your property (e.g.: store your garbage cans out of the reach of animals);
• Do not transport wild or unwanted animals because you could be spreading diseases like rabies to another region;
• Given that there are cases of rabies present in the United States close to the border with the Montérégie, it is important to report; any raccoon, skunk or fox found dead or behaving suspiciously (wounded, sick, disoriented, abnormally aggressive or paralysed).

Where to make a report: Report a dead or sick raccoon, skunk or fox - Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs (gouv.qc.ca)

Anyone who has touched a bat or been touched by a bat and cannot exclude a bite, scratch or contact with the saliva of the animal must:

• Wash exposed skin for 10 to 15 minutes with soap and water as soon as possible after contact;
• Call Info-Santé 811 immediately because a rabies vaccination may be needed depending on the situation;
• If the person was exposed at a daycare or school (or if there is any concern following exposure to an animal), quickly alert a responsible individual at the facility who will contact the DSPu:
  • If the situation occurs on a weekend, call Info-Santé at 8-1-1 for more information.

• Catch the bat in a safe manner to prevent anyone else coming in contact with it and to have it analysed if necessary. The animal can be analysed to assess the risk of rabies and the need for vaccination.

Rabies is rare in humans. Thanks to early intervention in the case of a bite or scratch from a bat or other animal, no one has died of rabies in Quebec since 2000!