The NDG-Cote des Neiges borough has given notice to Le Berger Blanc that it will cancel its animal control contract in light of a television report that showed squalid conditions at the private animal shelter.

The borough's contract with Le Berger Blanc will officially end June 28 but the cancellation is effective immediately and a new contract will be awarded to the SPCA, borough Mayor Michael Applebaum told CTV Montreal's Camille Ross.

NDG-Cote des Neiges follows the Plateau Mont-Royal borough, which gave Le Berger Blanc notice it would not renew its contract prior to the Enquête report airing. They are currently searching for a new shelter for their animal control contract.

The stark images shown in a report by the Radio-Canada investigative journalism show Enquête triggered protests at Montreal City Hall and struck a chord with the approximately 40 per cent of city residents who own a dog or cat.

Applebaum said that since the report aired, the borough has been receiving numerous e-mails and a petition asking them to stop doing business with Le Berger Blanc.

"The (report) we saw on television was troubling," Applebaum said. "Right away we sent out workers there to take a look at the contract, see the work that was being done. We decided right away to cancel the contract and gave them 30 days notice."

The Projet Montreal party plans to present a motion at the May 16 municipal council meeting to form a committee of elected members and experts to come up with an action plan that will lead to a "more responsible animal management" policy at the city.

"Nearly 40,000 Montrealers have already signed an online petition calling for various boroughs to cancel their contracts with Le Berger Blanc, a clear sign that the citizens are preoccupied with this issue," said Plateau Mont-Royal borough councilor Piper Huggins. "As responsible administrators, we ask that our contractors act in a responsible way. These revelations show us that Le Berger Blanc has failed in this area."

The Enquête report alleges Le Berger Blanc shelter isn't respecting norms and practices required by law in North America.

A journalist went undercover inside Le Berger Blanc with a hidden camera and shot footage of animals living in squalid conditions, cooped up in small cages and being injected, presumably, with drugs.

Le Berger Blanc is a privately-run shelter that holds the animal control contracts for 10 boroughs of Montreal and 12 other cities in the area.

A lengthy, unsigned open letter appeared on the Le Berger Blanc website the day after the report aired. The note criticized the TV report and made several personal accusations against the undercover reporter, who was not named.

Montreal is one of the only cities in Canada where a private, for-profit company is hired to control the animal population.