My hope for this Christmas....

Stolen from BrindleStick.



Thanks to DDAWatch for this wonderful video.

My hope for this Christmas is....

That no dog is taken from its home and killed just because of the way it looks.

That politicians finally realize that their ambitions shouldn't be realized on the backs of dead dogs and the rights of responsible owners.

That people finally wake up to how their thoughts and fears are manipulated by politicians and the media.

"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Be part of the small group of thoughtful people.

Let's have a THINKING New Year.

Soche

McGuinty Lie-berals kill again

I'm stealing from Brindle Stick since there is a lot of news this month.

First, Cesar Millan's Junior was refused entry into the province. Why? Because of the way he looks under an unfounded, unjust, vague, shoddy, fiscally irresponsible and proven ineffective law.

Next, some court has ruled against Ginger. This is unbelievable. I hope Philip and Ginger get out of the hell that is Ontario.

How interesting that the City of Toronto, under David Miller and his pet-unfriendly council, "lost" the muzzle that was legal evidence. No slap on the wrist for that from the court?

Worst, two openly declared homosexual Lie-berals voted for a discriminatory, unjust law. Check the voting record, link above. Smitherman and Wynne should know the history of homosexuality well enough to know the repercussions of unfounded, unjust discrimination. So why the hell did they vote for Bill 132?

Stupidity? Lack of conscience? Lack of intelligence? Political ambition? Bootlicking? Lack of spine?

Let's see if the back rows of Lie-berals grow brains and spines and vote for Cheri Di Novo's bill to repeal breed-specific legislation in this province.

Or if they're mindless, conscienceless, remorseless jellyfish.

If you live in Toronto.....

....I don't care how you vote on Monday, October 25th, just get out and vote.

Then, start hammering your provincial MPP for a bill requiring any MPP who resigns his/her seat before end of term to pay the cost of the by-election to fill that seat. I am heartily disgusted by and sick and tired of footing the bill so MPPs can skip out of their responsibility and commitment to their constituents and pursue their personal agendas on my dime (read - Smitherman and Bryant).

If an MPP were required to foot the bill for a by-election, perhaps that MPP would think twice before skipping out to chase glory elsewhere.

Celebrate Feral Cat Awareness Day!

Celebrate Feral Cat Awareness Day
at Toronto Humane Society
this Saturday, October 16th, from noon – 5pm

For more information either click on the link or the below photo!

PLEASE PASS ON THE WORD!

Hiatus

For personal reasons, this blog is going on hiatus.

Many thanks for being here.

Regards, Soche

Mark July 25th, 7 pm on your calendars!

Aside from being for a wonderful cause, this sounds like one hot party!



Addendum: The "I Write Like" website is a hoot. So far I "write like" Daniel Dafoe, Stephen King, James Joyce and Dan Brown.

Toronto Animal Services South Adopt-a-Thon

Swiped from Facebook.

TAS South Adopt-a-Thon!

Start Time: Saturday, 17 July 2010 at 10:00
End Time: Sunday, 18 July 2010 at 17:00
Location: Pet Pod
Street: 766 King St W
Town/City: Toronto, ON

Write it in your calendars! TAS South is having an adopt-a-thon!

We will be at Pet Pod on King St on Sat July 17th from 10-6 and Sunday July 18th from 10-5. We'll have cats, rabbits and rodents! If we don't have what you're looking for, we're right near the shelter and will direct you there, where you can find dogs, more cats and more small animals.

This is a community event! Everyone is welcome to come out and meet our animals. Learn more about what TAS does!

We recently got a huge intake of small animals, so we are especially encouraging small animal adopters to come out and meet some of our small furry friends!

Hope to see you there!

BSL, health "premium", eHealth, HST, ecotax....

Breathless, the crowd waited for the unveiling of the Dalton McGuinty statue...

More pet stuff recalls...

...detailed on the Pet Connection blog. An earlier post on another pet food recall is here. I don't know if these affect Canadian-purchased products but I'd err on the side of caution.

I'm going to let Merrick's know I believe their recall should have had wider coverage. People may be voting with their wallets on this one.

Who are the asshats threatening OSPCA staff????

According to an article in the Toronto Star, the Newmarket OSPCA cancelled an adoption blitz that was planned for Saturday after it received a stream of threats against staff.

Who are the moronic jackasses making threats? In case the jackasses don't know, uttering a threat is a criminal act and I am deeply hopeful that the police trace you and charge you.

Animals could have found homes. Are the threatening jackasses against that?
Staffers are working to find the animals forever homes. Are the threatening jackasses against that?

Where the hell were these threatening jackasses when people dumped their animals, abused their animals, tied the animals to the front door of the shelter and took off?

Nowhere. That's where.
Same place their brains are.

Toronto Humane Society news

The Toronto Humane Society is having its official opening on June 28th between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

THS received its College of Veterinarians of Ontario accreditation; brought in a human resources professional; has a cutie-pie dog getting medical treatment; is looking after a little rabbit left tied up outside THS; and has cats from a local rescue available for adoption.

Hope to see you there on the 28th.

Five years since PETA employees killed animals and threw them in dumpsters...

...and nothing has changed. PETA is still killing all the animals it can lay its grubby little hands on. There's a good article about this on the Atlanta Animal Welfare Examiner.

And San Francisco, the left coast bastion of frootz and nutz, wants to ban the sale of animals by pet stores. This would not be limited to a ban on sales of dogs and cats, but also small mammals such as hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, mice and chinchillas. Sales of birds may be banned as well.
Read about it on the Animal Law Coalition site.

When are people going to wake up and realize that our right to own a pet is being whittled away? That every use of the word "guardian" chips away at the concept of pet ownership? If you change "owner" to "guardian", the concept of property ownership ceases to pertain and the right to own that property can be legislated away.

Duh, people. Wake up. The enemy of our friends is at the door.

H/T to KC Dog Blog and Pet Connection blog.

Natural Balance Chicken & Sweet Potato dog food recall

Natural Balance 5 lb. and 28 lb. Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog food, manufactured on December 17, 2009 with a “Best By” date of June 17, 2011 is being voluntarily recalled. A random sampling of this product tested positive for Salmonella by the FDA.

Letter from the President here.

H/T to Pet Connection blog.

Toronto Humane is reopening, time to open our hearts.

The Toronto Humane Society is reopening on June 28th, you can read the press release here.

THS membership has opened back up again, and the new board is inviting participation. Read about the benefits of membership and download a membership application here.

Time to open our hearts and our wallets and bring the Toronto Humane Society back to life from the ashes. I hope to see you at THS, as a volunteer, a foster, a donor or a member.

Let's do it.
For the animals.

Addendum: I am incredibly ticked off by what appears to be gross editorial interference in a Toronto Sun article about the THS reopening. Please remember when you read anything about THS in the Sun that Peter Worthington, a big cheez at the TO tabloid, is a long-time supporter of Tim Trow. Gee, did Petey want to continue to see animals dying in agony in their cages?

Proctor & Gamble recalls Iams canned cat food

It's a North American recall of all varieties of Iams ProActive Health canned Cat and Kitten Food in 3 oz and 5.5 oz cans, dated 09/2011 to 06/2012 on the bottom of the can, for thiamine deficiency.

Read about the symptoms of thiamine deficiency here.

Hat tip to Pet Connection blog.

Now, back to something like our regular programming....

Will someone tell the McGuinty Liberals that they are being extremely insulting, assuming that we're so stupid?

Ya, HST will help business. Right. NOT.

Not when consumers' disposable income is reduced so they shop less, spend less. No point in hiring more employees if there aren't any customers.

This tax is going to help no one but the Liberals. After they rake in incredible amounts of money, if they don't gaily squander it all in boondoggles like eHealth (thanks, Smitherman), they'll proudly announce a balanced budget.

Just wait and see.
And remember that they think you're stupid.
Really remember that at the polls in 2011.

It's a new dawn, it's a new day.....

No man is an island….and no board can do it all on their own.

It is up to US to participate.
To volunteer in whatever capacity suits one’s talents.

Walking dogs, petting and brushing cats, rabbits, rats, playing with birds, fostering special care cases, feeding motherless kittens.
Helping with fundraising.
Helping with adoptions.
Helping recruit, train and coordinate volunteers.
Donating to help care for the animals, be it one time or monthly.
Whatever best suits you.
There's a committee for you.

Find a committee and commit.
To help make THS into a world-class shelter.

If you love animals
Do it for the animals.

Addendum: There's a good editorial in the Toronto Star entitled "Humane Society Reborn", read it here.

Faces of CHANGE comprises the new board of Toronto Humane Society

This just in, from Canada NewsWire.

Results of Special General Meeting of the Toronto Humane Society

TORONTO, May 30 /CNW/ - The Special General Meeting to elect a new Board of Directors of the Toronto Humane Society was held on May 30th, 2010. The Honourable Sydney L. Robins, a former judge of the Ontario Court of Appeal who has acted as the Election Supervisor since being appointed by order of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, served as Chair of the meeting.

Computershare Investor Services Inc. acted as Scrutineer.

Mr. Robins is pleased to announce the newly elected Board of Directors:

    Directors elected to serve a 3-year term:

   -  Johanna Booth - a member of the Faces of Change slate
   -  Jennifer Downe - a member of the Faces of Change slate
   -  Judi King - a member of the Faces of Change slate
   -  Peter Newell - a member of the Faces of Change slate
   -  Ferne Sinkins - a member of the Faces of Change slate

   Directors elected for a 2-Year Term:

   -  Karen Nasir - a member of the Faces of Change slate
   -  Linda Mackinnon - a member of the Faces of Change slate
   -  Marcie Laking - a member of the Faces of Change slate
   -  Wendy Strickland - a member of the Faces of Change slate
   -  Michael Downey - a member of the Faces of Change slate

   Directors elected for a 1-Year Term:

   -  Crystal Tomusiak - a member of the Faces of Change slate
   -  Garnet Pratt Siddall - a member of the Faces of Changete
   -  Ian Wintrip - a member of the Faces of Change slate
   -  Kimberly Cohen - a member of the Faces of Change slate
   -  Tom Ungar - a member of the Faces of Change slate

A copy of the Scrutineer's report will be available on the THS website when finalized.

======================================================

Now the hard work begins, to make THS into a world-class animal shelter. Time to put our shoulders to the grindstone and make it happen.

For the animals.

To me, definitive proof that Faces of CHANGE is independent. And my heretical idea of the day.

You may have heard about the 38 additional animal cruelty charges against all of the current directors of the Toronto Humane Society...OBAAT has the text of the OSPCA press release here.

To all the conspiracy theorists...how many tinfoil hats can there be in the world, anyway?

To me, this proves definitively that Faces of CHANGE is not allied with OSPCA. The timing of these charges is strategically very poor.

If, as the conspiracy theorists theorize, Faces of CHANGE and OSPCA were allied these charges would have been laid AFTER the THS board election on May 30th.

To have the charges laid before the election distracts from the election and gives the conspiracy theorists too much material to work with. Too much slaver on keyboards and spittle spewed on monitors. Someone could get electrocuted. Again. Bad strategy.

Strategically, having the charges laid after the election would give more leeway for messaging. It would be "you chose right" if Faces is the winning slate, and something else if Faces is not the winning slate.

Thank about it.

Then it's rabies shots on the house for the conspiracy flakes.
Although it might be too late for some of them.

===================================================

Heretical idea of the day:

Do we really need the Toronto Humane Society?
The city has survived six months without it.
Would the animals of the city be better served if we pushed the city to make Toronto Animal Services no-kill for all species, using the Calgary model? And got city funding for Toronto Wildlife Centre, to help with the non-domesticated animals? Push the mayoral slate for their stand on animal services? Push the city councillors?

All it takes is knowledge.
And will.

Think about it.

Vote for Faces of CHANGE in the May 30th Toronto Humane Society election

And here are the reasons...hope this comes through okay, my cut 'n paste from the Faces of Change e-mail killed the lovely formatting and pictures in the original e-mail.

We’ve spoken to members on the phone and at our meet the candidates’ night. Your questions are always thoughtful and focussed on what’s best for the animals. But one comes up more than any other…

Why should you vote for the Faces of CHANGE?

Because you have to understand a problem before you can fix it.

The Toronto Humane Society has been through some tough times. And the Faces of CHANGE have been there, fighting every step of the way to help the animals in its care.

None of the candidates on the Faces of CHANGE team is with the OSPCA or the incumbent board. But we volunteered at the THS under the old board, and we continued to help the animals after the OSPCA raided the building.

We are the only team with the expertise to lead the Toronto Humane Society into the future. We want an end to old battles, and a future where the animals come first.

Veterinary Expertise
Dr. Hanna Booth
After the November raids, Dr. Hanna Booth volunteered inside the THS. Despite being 9 months pregnant, Hanna spent 14 hour days treating the more than 1,000 animals in desperate need of veterinary care.

She also reached out to suppliers and convinced them to donate over $100,000 worth of drugs and laboratory tests.

A passionate advocate for spay/neuter, Hanna takes every opportunity to speak out on behalf of the animals. Last week she was on TVO’s The Agenda, discussing the OSPCA, the THS, and the question of when to euthanize animals.

Pit Bull Rescue
Marcie Laking
If there’s a hero in this story, it’s Marcie Laking. When the cruelty was uncovered, she kept the spotlight on the shelter and the pressure on the board to make things right for the animals.

After the raid, she was in the shelter every day – cleaning cages, grooming cats, walking dogs – whatever needed to be done. But she didn’t stop there.

Marcie’s also a passionate advocate for pit bulls. She finds homes outside of Ontario for dozens of pit bulls every year. This month alone, she helped re-home six pit bull puppies. The Faces of CHANGE slate supports MPP Cheri DiNovo’s Bill 222 to repeal breed specific legislation.

Tuesday at 11am tune your radio to 89.5FM (or live stream it from www.ciut.fm) to hear Marcie talk about pit bulls and animal welfare issues.

30 Years of Governance Experience
Peter Newell, BA, MA, JD
Peter Newell is an expert in corporate governance. In the last 30 years he has served on some 150 boards.

He’s a top notch corporate lawyer (with Ogilvy Renault, one of Canada’s leading firms) who works on international cases… but who’s also found time to give free legal advice to Adopt-a-Dog/Save-a-Life dog rescue – for more than 15 years.

Vote for Experience. Vote for CHANGE.

The Faces of CHANGE team is the only team with the expertise to lead the Toronto Humane Society into the future. We have experts in animal welfare and corporate governance. We have experience inside the shelter and around the boardroom table. We have contacts with rescue groups and corporate donors.

The animals don't have a voice. The animals don't have a vote. But you do. When you cast your vote, know that a vote for the Faces of CHANGE is a vote for the animals. To learn more, visit www.reformTHS.com.

Mark your ballot today
Support the Faces of CHANGE
www.reformTHS.com

Words for the day

It being a lazy Sunday, I was thinking about some of my favourite and not-so-favourite words. Here are a few for your consideration, with definitions courtesy of dictionary.com. Interestingly, they all are related to behaviour.

Altruism:
1. the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (opposed to egoism).
2. Animal Behavior. behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, as a warning cry that reveals the location of the caller to a predator.

Honesty:
1. the quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness.
2. truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness.
3. freedom from deceit or fraud.

Integrity:
1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

Responsible (and by extension, responsibility):
1. answerable or accountable, as for something within one's power, control, or management (often fol. by to or for): He is responsible to the president for his decisions.
2. involving accountability or responsibility: a responsible position.
3. chargeable with being the author, cause, or occasion of something (usually fol. by for): Termites were responsible for the damage.

Courage:
1. the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.
2. Obsolete. the heart as the source of emotion.

Cowardice:
(I also like pusillanimity but it's a real conversation stopper when one has a lisp, a stutter and a stammer.)
lack of courage to face danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.

Duplicity:
1. deceitfulness in speech or conduct; speaking or acting in two different ways concerning the same matter with intent to deceive; double-dealing.

Cupidity:
(and no, it has nothing to to do with Valentine's Day)
eager or excessive desire, esp. to possess something; greed; avarice.

What are your favourite words?

No-kill IS attainable

Once again, stealing from the best....Brent of KC Dog Blog is doing a terrific job of covering the progress of the no-kill movement in animal shelters in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Please be clear that no-kill is not no-euthanasia. Animal welfare IMHO encompasses the humane euthanasia of an animal at the end of its life, suffering, with no hope medically, or the humane euthanasia of an animal that after professional evaluation and attempted rehabilitation/behaviour modification remains a risk to public safety.

Brent has a great post entitled No Kill - Politically Speaking covering the politics that kill animals.

He also has a terrific post about why we should be talking about no kill communities, not just no kill shelters. Changing the benchmark from no kill shelters to no kill communities really raises the bar in animal welfare.

His latest post, entitled Knowing that it's possible, segues nicely from a marketing guru's words to the latest developments in U.S. no-kill, and has points that make it easy for the average person to understand how no-kill can be achieved.

Nathan Winograd is essentially the founder of the no kill movement. His site has an incredible amount of information about no kill and how it can be achieved. He also has graphic photos, videos and text of the abuse that goes on in shelters and pounds.

No-kill is attainable. We know it's possible.
All it takes is the knowledge and the will.

Dog's ribs broken in City of Brampton animal pound

Stealing directly from the Brampton Guardian, "Rambo, a dog wrongfully impounded by the City of Brampton for more than three months, was returned home with two broken ribs, The Guardian has learned." Read about it here.

Addendum: My first dog was a rescue with broken ribs from being kicked. One rib punctured the skin and abscessed, it required a lot of care (thanks, Mum) to clean the abscess daily and keep the dog from reinjuring herself. I'm heartsick that Mrs. Gaspar, a pensioner, now has to incur veterinary expenses for this injury to Rambo.

For parents looking for summer fun for their kids...

...K9 Rescue Me runs the Pawsitively Pets Kids Camp. It's a fabulous program with sessions targeted for children 5 to 8 years old (Young Pups), 9 to 12 (Cool Catz), 10 to 13 (Animal Care) and 12 to 16 (Mini Vet).

Explore the programs and sign your child/ren up because the programs fill up fast!

Wish this had been around when I was a kid!

CP24 LeDrew show on May 19, 2010 and kittens to die because of THS

Update: Bob Hambley sent out a dancing-backwards communique saying that the current board would not shut down the feeding program. You can read the text of the message (and the comments) on One Bark At A Time.

I only steal from the best..and Red Star Cafe's live blogging of the CP24 show with candidates from the two slates, Faces of Change and Save The THS, is brilliant. One Bark At A Time has a short and succinct summary of the event.

Toronto Humane Society has condemned hundreds of kittens to die by shutting down the kitten feeding program. One Bark At A Time has an eloquent dissertation on this latest inhumane move by Bob Hambley and the board of THS. THS spent almost half a million dollars, probably more, on lawyers last year but can't keep a kitten feeding program going. When is THS going to be about the animals again, instead of egos?

For those who are as annoyed as my friend still is by the improper acquisition and use of THS members' e-mail addresses, I suggest a PIPEDA complaint against the Save The Toronto Humane Society slate and Sussex Strategy Group. The form is here, quite simple to complete.

Addendum: Those in the Beltline area should be aware of two hairy dogs that are severely dog-aggressive with an irresponsible owner who allows the dogs to attack other dogs. Read about it on Toronto Dog Blog. Where's the "public safety" for this dog and its owner, Mr. McGuinty & Minions?

Shenanigans in the Toronto Humane Society election

STOLEN FROM ONE BARK AT A TIME: "Wednesday night, I'm told, there is going to be a live debate broadcast on CP24 at 9 (but check your listings to make sure about this) between an FOC candidate and an STHS candidate. While I enjoy a lively debate, I suspect that STHS is going to stick David Turnbull, their spokesperson, in front of the camera to rep their side because he's a seasoned pro, being a politician and all, and if he's a good politician, he'll be able to talk his way around anything and come out sounding good but saying nothing. Let's hope substance wins over style tomorrow night."

To my mind STTHS is playing a shell game, trying to distract from the fact that they do not have a concrete plan for dealing with THS and to play on the emotions of the people upset by the OSPCA situation. Remember that the THS situation was FAR worse, with animals left to die in agony in their cages. STTHS should get their priorities in order, back off from anything involving the OSPCA and deal with the issues on the THS doorstep. Last time I was in THS, it stank to high heaven and it wasn't just animal waste that stank.

If there's a call-in portion, call in and hammer STTHS for their specific plan for dealing with THS. Tell them to can the "ideologies and politics" smoke and mirrors bullshite and let members know exactly how STTHS plans to deal with the financial situation of the shelter, animal intake, euthanasia. Ask how "ideologies and politics" killed Casper in the ceiling. I have LOTS of ideas for other questions.

Don't let 'em try to fob it off with a "ooh, the managers will do that." If the managers can do everything, why do the shelter and the animals need STTHS?

===============================================================

The dishonesty, deceit, misrepresentation and malice going on while people grasp at straws to try to stay in power have the stench of desperation about them.

The ONLY group behaving honourably is the Faces of CHANGE slate.

Tailspin has an eloquent post about why members of the Toronto Humane Society should vote for the Faces of Change slate. Tailspin's first paragraph really resonated with me; it's a sickening feeling watching the dark side overtake the light.

Addendum: One Bark At A Time has a very thoughtful post on the election issue.

A friend received a mailing from "Concerned Members of Toronto Humane Society" in the same vein, reminding people of why the old must be swept out forever and the new brought in.

Toronto Humane Society election May 30, 2010

I'll tell you right off the bat that I support the Faces of CHANGE slate in the upcoming Toronto Humane Society election. They have excellent candidates with experience, knowledge, scope, passion and commitment. Most of the Faces of CHANGE candidates have been in the trenches fighting for years to get the THS reformed and rejuvenated. They have plans and processes. Be an informed voter.

When voting, be sure to properly complete your ballot.
Mark the boxes next to exactly 15 candidates' names with an X.
Be sure to complete the section with your name and mark whether you live or work within 60 km of 11 River Street (and write in your work address if the latter). If you're not sure, use Mapquest directions to figure out the distance from your home and/or office to 11 River Street; you'll first have to go into Settings at the bottom of the page and change from Miles to Kilometers.
SIGN IT.
Mail it in time for it to get to Computershare in downtown Toronto by Friday, May 28th or take it with you to the May 30th meeting.

================================================================

Daniel Dale of the Toronto Star has a short piece today entitled Election Supervisor rebukes Toronto Humane Society candidates.

Personally, the apology was not enough. Disqualification or withdrawal of the entire Save The THS (STTHS) slate would have suited me nicely.

After a number of incidents, I can confidently tell you that I have NO confidence or trust in the STTHS group.

First, the slate was assembled by Michelle Wasylyshen, an employee of Sussex Group which (at last report) worked for THS in 2009. There's no evidence one way or the other that Sussex Group has ceased to work for THS under the current board.

I believe that this group has been thrown together at the eleventh hour, given that its domain name was registered on April 26th. This is not a group that has been working for some time towards a goal.

The leaders of the STTHS group appropriated the name of an existing large animal welfare group. STTHS is either totally ignorant of animal welfare groups in the GTA or wanted to piggyback on the reputation of the animal welfare group. The former is inexcusable ignorance, the latter sounds like misrepresentation to me. Which is it, people?

The STTHS group used a list that was improperly obtained and not available to Faces of CHANGE and independent candidates, to contact THS members by e-mail which was contrary to (as I understand it) the judge's order and privacy legislation (see Daniel Dale article linked above). An apology??? Pffft.

The STTHS group has failed to answer whether any of its candidates are members of the THS.

Michelle Wasylyshen apparently denies that Bob Hambley (one of the board members charged with animal cruelty and a long-time Tim Trow supporter) and Pell Capone (former board member, currently one of the many, many THS lawyers) attend STTHS meetings. Other members of the STTHS have stated that Hambley and Capone have attended meetings. This is not a trick question, they're either at meetings or they're not. Which is it, people?

This is happening with a proposed slate consisting of at least two persons specializing in board governance (which encompasses ethics); a former provincial government minister; a chief financial officer; at least one lawyer; the CEO of a government agency.

Did these people agree to the improper use of improperly obtained information?

Do these people agree that straightforward enquiries should fail to receive a response?

Trust and respect must be earned. Has the STTHS done anything to earn anyone's trust or respect?

If the STTHS group is behaving improperly, talking out of both sides of its mouth on one hand and failing to answer straightforward questions on the other during its campaign, what can we expect from this group if it's voted in?

Courtesy of Draw The Dog...

These wonderful cartoons are used with permission from Draw The Dog. Please go to Draw The Dog and look at their other wonderful cartoons. And please remember shelter animals - dogs, cats, rabbits, rats, mice, birds and so many others - when you are looking for your next pet.


Courtesy of Draw The Dog, htpp://drawthedog.com.


Courtesy of Draw The Dog, htpp://drawthedog.com.

Entertainment for the day

Found the Draw The Dog site courtesy of the Pet Connection blog....it's tres cool, check it out.

Save The Toronto Humane Society

If you want change at THS...if you want to see a compassionate organization where animal welfare comes first....

Take this list of the Faces of CHANGE candidates to the May 30th election with you, and vote for them. (N.B. Updated list to reflect the union of Faces of CHANGE and RAIN).

-   Dr. Hanna Booth - Veterinarian
-   Michael Downey - President & CEO, Tennis Canada
-   Kim Cohen - CEO, Brown & Cohen Communications
-   Jennifer Downe - Bank Manager & THS Volunteer
-   Judi King - Senior Law Clerk & ART Co-founder
-   Marcie Laking - Animal Welfare Advocate
-   Linda MacKinnon - Paralegal & ART Co-founder
-   Dr. Karen Nasir - Veterinarian
-   Peter Newell - Senior Partner, Ogilvy Renault
-   Garnet Pratt Siddall - Financial Professional
-   Ferne Sinkins - President, Toronto Cat Rescue
-   Tom Ungar - President & CEO, MTU Investments
-   Ian Wintrip - Director, Wintrip Wolkoff Shin
-   Wendy Strickland - Urban Forester, THS volunteer
-   Crystal Tomusiak - Criminal Lawyer, THS volunteer

The plot sickens.

Daniel Dale of the Toronto Star has done a marvellous job ferreting out the connections of the "Save the THS" slate that has appeared out of thin air.

You'd think the big-time, big-bux Sussex Strategy Group could have been original with its slate's name instead of piggybacking on the existing Save The Toronto Humane Society group.

I poked around the Sussex Strategy Group website and was hugely amused by the title of one founder's blog entry: "If you can't dazzle them with brains, baffle them with...". Geez, now why does that seem familiar?

What exactly did Sussex Strategy Group do for THS, and how many donor dollars did that cost?

What's the animal care/animal welfare background of these "Save the THS" candidates? Have any of these people cleaned a cat cage at THS, or walked a shelter dog?

Even worse, it's reported that Bob Hambley of the current THS board (facing charges for animal cruelty) and long time THS lawyer Pell Capone have been attending the Save the THS Slate meetings.

You might want to review Mr. Hambley's behaviour at the last members' meeting, when he was the Secretary and Treasurer. Remind yourself that the current board, due to vacate office on May 30th, have not been transparent about whether Mr. Hambley continues as Secretary and Treasurer in addition to being President.

Hey, did Mr. Capone return that $400K to the THS that he was supposed to return March 5th? More mystery and fog surrounding THS activities....

Read the history of dysfunction at Toronto Humane here and here. See which names keep appearing.

Why is Bob Hambley running for the board again? He's been on the board for decades, through several scandals.

Is it true that the Brenda C. Grant on the list of candidates is actually Brenda Hind from the current THS board running under another name? Would Brenda C. Grant like to clarify?

Is it true that Margaret Johnson on the list of candidates is related to Alan Johnson, a current and long-time THS board member (since 1979, through several scandals)? Would Margaret Johnson like to clarify?

The current management of THS is STILL not allowing information on how to be a member on its website. Even the site map has been disabled. Gee, I wonder why.

If you want the THS to change, please take this list of the Faces of CHANGE candidates to the May 30th election with you, and vote for them. (N.B. Updated list to reflect the union of Faces of CHANGE and RAIN).

-   Dr. Hanna Booth - Veterinarian
-   Michael Downey - President & CEO, Tennis Canada
-   Kim Cohen - CEO, Brown & Cohen Communications
-   Jennifer Downe - Bank Manager & THS Volunteer
-   Judi King - Senior Law Clerk & ART Co-founder
-   Marcie Laking - Animal Welfare Advocate
-   Linda MacKinnon - Paralegal & ART Co-founder
-   Dr. Karen Nasir - Veterinarian
-   Peter Newell - Senior Partner, Ogilvy Renault
-   Garnet Pratt Siddall - Financial Professional
-   Ferne Sinkins - President, Toronto Cat Rescue
-   Tom Ungar - President & CEO, MTU Investments
-   Ian Wintrip - Director, Wintrip Wolkoff Shin
-   Wendy Strickland - Urban Forester, THS volunteer
-   Crystal Tomusiak - Criminal Lawyer, THS volunteer

Aggregation April 24, 2010

Update: The CHANGE platform and candidate bios are available online now.

Cheating again, stealing others' hard work, hehehe....

One Bark At A Time has great posts on the upcoming Toronto Humane Society board election and on how the City of Brampton is seizing innocent dogs in some whacked vendetta.

I'm looking forward to the THS election and hoping enough THS members have smelled the coffee (and the mummified cat, and the animals who died in agony) to clear the board chairs of the old and bring in the new. A phoenix must be destroyed before being reborn.

Many thanks to the Brampton Guardian for following the story of Brittany and Rambo to other owners who have been hurt by the abuse of authority by Brampton Animal Control. Brampton appears to be a case where authority has been mutated into a power/control freakout that kills innocent dogs and breaks owners' hearts and wallets. Brampton Mayor and City Councillors are hiding behind their chairs, and the comments from Brampton's commissioner of community services (WTF is that, BTW?) make me kinda sorta wanna puke.
Suckage, indeed. Sewage is more like it.

KC Dog Blog has posts on Scotland passing a sensible dog law instead of the U.K.'s draconian, murderous Dangerous Dogs Act, jurisdictions passing non-breed-specific dog law, and thoughts on Brittany and Rambo in the Hole...I mean, the City of Brampton.

Brindle Stick is on a roll about McSquinty backing down on sex ed....too bad it happened after his birth and not before...and the Dumpsville...I mean, the City of Brampton.

Lassie Get Help has a great poster competition for the City of Brampton...I like the first entry, working on my own....

Always interesting stuff on YesBiscuit!...

Time to go outside and consider whether the two-legs truly deserve to inherit the earth.

Phillip and Ginger need your help!

THE MCGUINTY LIBERALS KILL GOOD DOGS.

THE MCGUINTY LIBERALS HURT LAW-ABIDING DOG OWNERS.
DAVID MILLER'S CITY KILLS GOOD DOGS.
DAVID MILLER'S CITY HURTS LAW-ABIDING DOG OWNERS.

The McGuinty Liberal government is at it yet again. We need to fight for our rights in court.

THE DOG LEGISLATION COUNCIL OF CANADA'S second annual "DOLLARS FOR DOGS" Campaign on behalf of Phillip and Ginger, the Huggins family.

"Law abiding citizens are not being targeted by the ban". Former Attorney General for Ontario, Michael Bryant Sept 2005.

Nothing could be further from the truth if you own a dog of politically incorrect shape in Ontario.

Knowing that any dog born with the wrong 'look' would be seized and killed, Phillip Huggins made sure his best friend, an 8 year old " brown-haired" girl named Ginger, was in full compliance with the breed-specific regulations of the Ontario Dog Owners Liability Act.

On November 29, 2005, while Phillip's mother was walking Ginger, leashed and muzzled in compliance with DOLA, in a Toronto park, Ginger was savagely attacked by an unleashed dog.

So savage was the attack on Ginger, that Buddy (an alleged border collie/shepherd cross) tore Ginger's muzzle off and inflicted severe injuries to both Phillip's mom and Ginger. Ginger now has permanent damage to her left eye.

Now you think that it would be the owner of Buddy, that would be charged. Not so. Buddy's owner, the owner of an unleashed and aggressive dog that was not a politically incorrect shape, walked away almost free and clear.

Ginger wasn't so lucky. The City of Toronto Animal Control Officers seized Ginger illegally, without warrant or the consent of Ginger's owner.

Within hours, a destruction order was placed on Ginger to end her life while Phillip was charged with 3 counts under DOLA. Prosecutors attempted to strike a deal with Phillip, offering to drop all charges if he 'simply' handed over Ginger to be killed. Phillip would have nothing to do with it and said he would fight to the end.

Ginger spent 3 ½ years incarcerated simply for defending herself and Phillip's mother.

As a result of the charges and the battle in court Phillip lost his job, ended up on welfare and now suffers with depression.

Out of money and time, Clayton Ruby, an established human rights lawyer, took over the case. He knew the City of Toronto was wrongfully holding Ginger in the pound. Within days, Clayton Ruby went before a judge and Ginger was released back to her loving home until the next court date.

Despite a ruling which allowed Ginger to be free, the City of Toronto was granted an appeal on the ruling.

Phillip is yet again scheduled to appear in court again on May 26, 2010 at 10:30 AM at The Court of Appeals for Ontario.

Ginger is still at risk of losing her life.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

As a result of the City of Toronto being granted an appeal, it is costing MUCH more than was anticipated.

If Phillip doesn't raise the funds, he may lose his appeal. He has come this far; if he stops now, the city will be granted the destruction order and Ginger will be killed.

Your financial help would be greatly appreciated.

Go to www.dlcc.ca
Paypal address: treasurer@dlcc.ca
to donate

or

Please send payment in trust for Ginger to:

Ruby and Shiller
11 Prince Arthur Ave,
Toronto, ON
M5R 1B2

HELP KEEP GINGER ALIVE AND BRING HER HOME.

Heads up, Toronto voters and dog owners!

Addendum: A friend was in the Toronto emergency vet's the other night. A little boy was heartbroken because two large breed dogs (not "pit bulls") walked by two young girls had savagely attacked his little chihuahua puppy. The puppy probably wouldn't make it.

Where are Dalton McGuinty and David Miller when these incidents happen???
Nowhere. That's where.
Public safety, my a$$.

=================================================

The mayoralty race in Toronto has several declared candidates, and Toronto dog owners should be asking these candidates some hard questions.

George Smitherman is a former McGuinty Liberal who voted for the Liberals' unfounded, unjust, inhumane, vague, shoddy, proven ineffective and proven fiscally irresponsible breed specific legislation. Does Smitherman intend to continue depriving law-abiding dog owners of their rights and killing innocent dogs because they're a politically incorrect shape? Will Smitherman turn Toronto into another Denver, a death camp for dogs mired in tax-dollar-sucking lawsuits?

Glen Murray was the mayor of Winnipeg, known for its draconian breed-specific legislation and which municipality was used by the McGuinty Liberals to try to prop up its BS-L. Does Murray intend to continue depriving law-abiding dog owners of their rights, and killing innocent dogs because they're a politically incorrect shape? Will Murray turn Toronto into another Denver, a death camp for dogs mired in tax-dollar-sucking lawsuits?

Other candidates are cyphers, unknowns. With this anonymity comes uncertainty; where do these candidates stand on dog owners' rights - indeed, all pet owners' rights?

Get your questions ready now and attend every public meeting possible, every candidates' session possible, to try to get straight answers from these candidates. Try really, really hard.

And get yourself to the polls on October 25, 2010 and VOTE.

The importance of trust in the future of Toronto Humane Society

Addendum: Interesting editorial in the April 6th Toronto Star. In keeping with the following, the last line of the editorial is, "But new faces are needed if this once-respected organization is to regain public trust."

From Dictionary.com.
Trust: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. certainty, belief, faith. Trust, assurance, confidence imply a feeling of security. Trust implies instinctive unquestioning belief in and reliance upon something: to have trust in one's parents. Confidence implies conscious trust because of good reasons, definite evidence, or past experience: to have confidence in the outcome of events. Assurance implies absolute confidence and certainty: to feel an assurance of victory.

The Toronto Humane Society debacle of the last few months is not the first. As Justice D.M. Brown pointed out in his reasons for decision of April 1st, 2010, this is the third time in less than 25 years that issues concerning THS have come before the courts. This is not the first time that the behaviour of the THS board and management have come under public scrutiny.

Some points for people to consider.

1. The current board and management of THS have developed and approved a plan that includes (a) shutting down the shelter for two months and (b) bringing in the Humane Society of the United States, a well-funded U.S. lobbying group that does not operate a single shelter, gives less than 1% of its donations to animal welfare groups and has been caught using animals it was trying to have killed to raise money for itself.

2. The current board, while submitting to the courts that most intend to resign and will not run for re-election, approved the above plan and gave the new Executive Director a two-year contract. In an April 1, 2010 press release, Bob Hambley, President of the THS is quoted, "Mr. Jerome has a two-year contract...".

3. There is to me evidence of profound animal neglect in the shelter. I have personal experiences with THS animal neglect. For decades there have been allegations of animal neglect by THS board and management, many of whom remain on the board or in management.

4. THS has never been transparent about whether Bob Hambley continues to be Secretary and Treasurer in addition to becoming the new President.

5. In November 2009, the Globe and Mail disclosed that the THS board and management had spent almost half a million dollars on litigation in one year. The THS board and management have lawsuits still ongoing against (at least) the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Hamilton Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Lee Oliver. The THS board and management have paid lawyers to send threatening letters to (at least) the Association for the Reform of Toronto Humane Society, former employee Anthony DeMelo and the Toronto Cat Rescue. I'd like to know what the legal bill stands at now, and whether the $400,000 given to a lawyer was returned to THS on March 5, 2010. The board and management of THS must be made to explain how these lawsuits and threatening letters benefit the animals entrusted to THS' care.

6. In November 2009 five of the top THS staff including the president and chief veterinarian were arrested and charged with animal cruelty. The entire board of directors of THS were charged with animal cruelty. A former THS supervisor was subsequently charged with animal cruelty. Subsequently, an OSPCA officer was fired and charged for giving advance notice of an OSPCA raid and a THS agent was arrested and charged with impersonating a peace officer. To the best of my knowledge all of those charges remain outstanding, they have not been withdrawn.

7. The senior management and representatives of THS could not or would not answer simple, straightforward questions about finances and corporate governance at the September 2009 AGM.

8. Without any public notice or explanation, the THS shut down the membership portion of its website in August 2009 (first date it was noticed) and applications submitted are not being processed. People who call about their applications do not receive the courtesy of a return call.

9. The Association for Reform of the Toronto Humane Society has two timelines - the first here and the second here - summarizing THS historical events since 1972.

To me, it all boils down to one simple question: In light of current and historical events and behaviours, do I trust the current board and management of the Toronto Humane Society?

It's a question every member of THS must ask him or herself before completing the absentee ballot or attending the THS special meeting on May 30th to vote in person.

A break from our regular programming....

Curtis and Leroy saw an ad in the Kentville Advertiser Newspaper in Kentville, N.S. And bought a mule for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the mule the next day.

The next morning the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry, fellers, I have some bad news, the mule died last night." Curtis & Leroy replied, "Well, then just give us our money back.." The farmer said, "Can't do that. I went and spent it already." They said, "OK then, just bring us the dead mule." The farmer asked, "What in the world ya'll gonna do with a dead mule?"

Curtis said, "We gonna raffle him off." The farmer said, "You can't raffle off a dead mule!" Leroy said, "We shore can! Heck, we don't hafta tell nobody he's dead!"

A couple of weeks later, the farmer ran into Curtis & Leroy at the Co-Op grocery store and asked: "What'd you fellers ever do with that dead mule?" They said, "We raffled him off like we said we wuz gonna do." Leroy said,"Shucks, we sold 500 tickets fer two dollars apiece and made a profit of $898."

The farmer said,"My Lord, didn't anyone complain?" Curtis said, "Well, the feller who won got upset. So we gave him his two dollars back."

Curtis and Leroy now work for the government.
They're overseeing McGuinty's Harmonization Sales Tax Plan.

The game just took a 100 degree turn.

Well, there I was, writing a rational, objective post about working together....

I took a break to read Garth Jerome's affidavit about the plan to close down Toronto Humane Society for a death-dealing reboot (available on many sites)....
And felt physically ill.
It scared the $#!@ out of me.

If you haven't read it, you'd better. Fast.

I could nitpick like crazy, but I'm going to restrict myself to the high points.

First, never once does Mr. Jerome refer to the objects contained in the Letters Patent of THS. Mission statement, policies, blah blah. What do the objects in the THS Letters Patent allow Toronto Humane Society to be?

Next, Mr. Jerome consulted with the Edmonton Humane Society, among others. According to paragraph 5 of Mr. Jerome's affidavit, it appears that Edmonton Humane Society has a 50% kill rate (intake 10,000; adoptions 5,000). If Edmonton Humane wishes to provide detail that refutes the appearance, I'd really like to see it.

In all the talk about mission statements, policies, procedures, retraining, trips to Edmonton/Toronto, laptop computers....not one word about how much this will cost and where the money is coming from for all these plans.

Now, paragraph 18 of the affidavit. Mr. Jerome wants to invite a "consultation/assessment team" from the Humane Society of the United States to "spend a week at the shelter and conduct a wholesale review of our operations".

The Humane Society of the United States ("HSUS") is a lobby group. It does not operate a single shelter.

According to people who can do math (not me), in 2008 HSUS spent $28 million of their $125 million budget on fundraising -- $28 million on political campaigns and $12 million on "strategic communications'.

HSUS gave less than 1% of donations to shelters.

Want to know how much money HSUS has in the bank? In 2008 - $204, 868,764. Yes, that's millions.

HSUS was lobbying for the deaths of the Vick dogs while using them in fundraising campaigns. HSUS has called for the deaths of dogs and puppies seized in fight busts, never once allowing for temperament assessment and rehoming. HSUS never had care of the Vick dogs.

HSUS used a picture of Fay, a severely injured "pit bull", in a fundraising campaign. HSUS never had care of Fay. HSUS didn't even get the dog's name right. After some serious screaming worldwide, HSUS gave a lousy $5 grand to the rescue actually caring for Fay (which would have been a drop in the bucket for HSUS, and a pittance towards Fay's vet costs).

HSUS supports mandatory spay/neuter. Mandatory spay/neuter can eradicate a domesticated species in one generation.

HSUS opposed feral cat trap/spay/neuter/release programs.

HSUS does not support no-kill.

HSUS apparently has crossleadership with PETA. PETA wants to end animal ownership, including pets. PETA killed almost 100% of the animals entrusted to it in 2009..and 2008....and 2007....

Nathan Winograd has covered HSUS, as has Pet Connection blog and KC Dog Blog.

HSUS states in its IRS filing that it wants a representative in every state in the U.S.
Is HSUS looking for a foothold in Canada?

I'm worried.
Very worried.

===============================================

This is the objective post that got waylaid...

Keep your eyes on the prize.

There's a minor flurry going on between what I call the "puppies and kitties" crowd (read: the ones controlled by their emotions) and those who can see the long-term, who have their eyes on the goal of rebuilding the Toronto Humane Society.

Dissension serves no one, especially not the animals.

Focusing on the short term obscures and detracts from the historical issues at THS - institutionalized hoarding, inhumane treatment of terminally injured or ill animals by allowing them to die in their cages, squandering donor funds on lawsuits (detailed in the mainstream media - are the THS lawsuits against the OSPCA, Hamilton HS and a former employee still ongoing?), the lack of control, transparency and accountability. Read the affidavit for the search warrant against THS if you need a reminder about its animal care.

Garth Jerome, the new Executive Director of THS (N.B. an Executive Director is a paid employee, not a member of the board of directors), has issued a statement that the board of THS has approved a plan to shut the shelter for six to eight weeks. Mr. Jerome's affidavit sets out a whole bunch'a stuff.

Why did the THS lawyers call a reduced animal population a "death spiral" on March 2, 2010 but aren't calling emptying and closing the shelter a "death spiral"?

I do not think that THS should be emptied "...by means of adoption, fostering, transfers to rescue groups, and euthanasia...". Rescue groups are overburdened as it is, most run by volunteers who pay much out of their pockets without the $9M in revenue THS had in 2008 (wonder what the legal fees are to date for all the to-ing and fro-ing?). Fostering had been shut down at THS, last I heard? That leaves adoption and euthanasia. How many of the animals left at THS have medical or behavioural issues that make them unlikely candidates for adoption?

Neither the board nor Mr. Jerome appear to have made concrete plans for all the kittens that will be born very shortly.

Nor has anyone addressed where the money is coming from. Were the independent animal-care experts paid? Who would pay for an Edmonton animal are trainer to stay in Toronto and train THS staff, or for THS shelter supervisors to go to Edmonton? The THS proposal includes deep cleaning, staff retraining, a new computer system for tracking animal intake and care, cosmetic changes to the public areas of the facility, and a "new infrastructure for the conduct of future operations".

Hey, Board of Directors, why wasn't this done BEFORE the OSPCA bust?

There should also be a savage structural check of the building, particularly its wiring, in light of the rodent infestation it's had for years.

Where is the money coming from? THS hasn't allowed new memberships since August 2009. I know several people with applications and cheques sitting in a pile on someone's desk. The board had time to decide to close the shelter, why didn't they deal with the backlog of membership applications? Aren't members important? Who is going to donate to a shelter where they can't be a member and have a vote, or to a closed shelter?

Brian Shiller of the OSPCA is quoted in the March 30, 2010 Globe & Mail article stating, "Most of the members of the board of directors have “indicated an intention to resign shortly". Hey, enquiring minds want to know - who hasn't said they'll resign? If most of the board is going to resign, then why should that board be allowed to decide to close the shelter?

Cool heads are needed now. Fact, not opinion, is needed now. The goal needs to be kept uppermost.

The shelter needs to be kept open, particularly in light of coming kitten season. Kittens need feeding every 2 hours round the clock if Mama is dead or can't be found.

BUT the board who sat for years, either overtly or tacitly endorsing the behaviour of management (the sin of omission is as grave as the sin of commission), cannot be allowed to remain.

A shelter cannot be no-kill unless it turns animals away. The goal should be humane low-kill. Allowing terminally ill animals to die in their cages is not humane.

Only by regrouping, coalescing, sticking together and keeping our eyes on the goal - the removal of the current board and management of Toronto Humane and the rejuvenation of the Toronto Humane Society and replacement with a board committed to animal welfare (not rights), transparency and accountability - can those goals be achieved.

There are so many games afoot, and animals are the pawns.

Worldwide, there are games afoot with various factions pushing their agendas, redirecting unwelcome attention or protecting their turf...and animals have no voice in this game, they're only the pawns.

1. Past decade if not more - PETA, HSUS and the rest of the "kill 'em" groups - trying to eliminate specific types of animals or domestic animals wholesale, particularly pets. PETA and HSUS are nothing more than well-funded lobby groups pushing anti-animal agendas. Any unthinking dope who spouts "guardian" in reference to their animals is aiding the PETA goal (the game) of having animals removed from the category of property and therefore removing any legislative or common-law right to own property (a pet animal).

2. 2005 - The provincial Liberal government passed an unfounded, unjust, inhumane, vague, shoddy, ineffective and fiscally irresponsible breed ban. This was at a time when the Liberals' public approval rating was very low. The Liberals ignored all the dog experts. The Liberals refused to institute a centralized dog bite registry - gee, I wonder why. One of the Liberals' so-called experts was a dweeb who can't even get the names of dog breeds right. This game was rigged from the start. Couldn't get a word printed in mainstream media to refute the Fibs' rhetoric. The Liberals had absolutely no intention of listening to the people who testified at the committee hearings. McSquinty whipped the Fibs into showing up and voting for the breed ban. This was a done deal before we even heard about it.

3. 2004 and 2005 - The way I read the returns, it appears the Ontario Liberals gave two whacking great hunks of money to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ("OSPCA") - which, being the enforcement body for animal law in the province, would probably be involved in dog fight investigations and dog seizures resulting from the investigations. However, we haven't seen any media trumpeting about any dog fight busts. What's the game here? Was this money from the Ontario government? Why was the money given? What was done with it? And why another great lump in 2008?

N.B. Snipped from OSPCA returns filed with the Canada Revenue Agency
Revenue from provincial/territorial governments
2002 - $ 685,500
2003 - 216,294
2004 - 1,154,760
2005 - 1,268,609
2006 - 285,755
2007 - 653,482
2008 - 2,845,810

4. November 2009 - OSPCA makes animal cruelty busts at Toronto Humane Society ("THS"). Long story well-covered in mainstream media. Current board of directors is charged, cruelty investigator charged, former office worker charged...hard to know who hasn't been charged. The game here consisted of idly wondering about who would turn on whom to save their skin.

5. March 2010 - THS does a public 180 on its euthanasia "policy" and posts on its website that it has killed six dogs (five "pit bulls") and 19 cats. Now, what's this game? Apparently the five "pit bulls" all had no temperament or health issues and had places ready in rescues outside the province; the only issue was the logistics of transporting them through the province (because of the stupid provincial breed ban and even stupider patchwork of municipal breed ban laws). What's the game here? Why the sudden rush to kill the dogs and the cats? Especially since THS had repeatedly refused to work with rescues and allow the dogs to leave the province, preferring to keep them incarcerated for years? (Keep in mind that these dogs would be alive if THS had moved them out of the province.) Was the killing required by the OSPCA? Was it a decision of THS and if so, who made the decision? Don't give me the nameless, faceless "committee" answer. Someone ultimately had to say, "they're toast". Who was it? Why were these dogs and cats killed? Will we ever get a straight answer?

6. Guess the game in #5 eliminates the game in #4.

Y'ever get the feeling that you'd like to leave for an island with no government and no politics?
Take your animals with you.
And go without anyone else. As soon as there are two or more people, there's politics.

Dogsbite.org exposed

The post on KC Dog Blog about the truth behind dogsbite.org is a must-read. It's a very thoughtful, objective analysis (unlike this blog *grin*).

As commenters mention, it's frightening that a group gets quoted without having any credentials, solely to provide "both sides". How can you justify promoting the opinions of a group with absolutely no credentials, who want to kill animals solely because of appearance?

Dog owners are a visually identifiable group. Does pushing a personal agenda of vengeance qualify dogsbite.org as a hate group?

This child will really thank McGuinty in future years...

Now, why isn't the dog's breed in the headline?

The child is a victim, I am very sorry for her.

PETA rehomes 8 animals. And kills 2,301.

Nathan Winograd has his fourth analysis of PETA's annual declaration of death and money.

More later.

Once I can stomach writing about PETA's animal-killing spree.

This is a $34 million organization that rehomed eight animals. You read that correctly. Eight. 8.

Bob Barker should get his money back. Unless he favours broad-ranging death dealing. If any celebrity endorses PETA, I immediately cease to watch any productions that celebrity may be in.

Addendum: Good work on KC Dog Blog , YesBiscuit! and Pet Connection about PETA and its killing.

And the beat goes on....

Yet another THS staffer charged with animal cruelty, this one a former supervisor. It's been covered in the Toronto Star and other media sources.

A woman in Sarnia has had her dogs returned to her after over half a year, and fighting like hell. Good for her. Brindle Stick has covered this nicely.

The Tin Pot Town of Kingston, Ontario continues to persecute Calleigh and her owners. Gotta love a municipal administration too freaking dim to realize they're chasing the wrong dog and the wrong owner. Calleigh does dock diving, has been invited to join a flyball team and is loved by many. Kingston, send the dog home. NOW.

The Tin Pot Town of Brampton, Ontario continues to incarcerate unoffending dogs, persecute unoffending owners and blow taxpayers' hard-earned dollars out the window on this farce. Enough, already. Brampton, send the dogs home. NOW.

"Ignorance is curable. Stupidity is not."

Update on Brampton

The City of Brampton has done an about-face and allowed the owners of Brittany and Rambo to visit the dogs. Unfortuantely, Mrs. Gaspar (the senior citizen whose dog was seized) was unable to visit; I can understand her pain. Read about it in the Brampton Guardian.

The City of Brampton apparently also paid a veterinarian to examine the dogs (taxpayer dollars), after refusing to allow the owners' veterinarian to examine the dogs (which would have been paid by the owners). Read about it in the Brampton Guardian.

McSquinty's proroging of the Ontario legislature kills Bill 222. For the moment. We'll be back, boys. Hey, weren't the Fibs squawking about the feds proroguing? Which side of their mouths are the Ontario Lie-berals drooling from today?

Enquiring minds ask...why are there no females heading the "power" ministries in McGuinty's government? Why is there no female Attorney General or Minister of Finance?

Good article in NiagaraThisWeek about the Lie-berals' breed-specific legislation and the fight to get it removed from the Ontario Dog Owners' Liability Act.

Hat tip to Brindle Stick for the Brampton update and the Niagara article.

Latest development in the ongoing saga of Toronto Humane...

...Kate Hammer has a Globe & Mail article on the decision of Mr. Justice David Brown of Ontario's Superior Court to have the OSPCA oversee the intake and adoption of animals at the shelter.

The article mentions layoff of THS administrative staff; to quote, "Shelter insiders said the bulk of the layoffs were administrative staff and part of an ongoing effort to increase the proportion of employees who work in animal care."

The article also contains an interesting statement by the OSPCA that any deal struck through mediation would require the resignation of all 14 remaining members of the board.

Far better writers than I....

Updated with Kingston protest video, Kingston TV coverage and a new article.

....are taking on the Brampton situation, the Kingston situation and the BS in BSL.

Read about it on BrindleStick, KC Dog Blog, MatadorChange.com, Chicobandido and (welcome back!) Caveat (particularly "You might be a numbnuts if...").

BramptonGuardian.com is doing a spectacular job of covering the Brampton fiasco. Pam Douglas is doing a a super job of researching the issues, particularly comparing the City of Mississauga's councillors voting unanimously to allow an owner to visit an impounded dog, and Brampton Mayor Fennell's weak responses to questions. Where are the Brampton City Councillors, anyway? Taking mime lessons? Lining up their post-election jobs?

Addendum: Good article in the St. Catharines-Standard.

Since the Ontario Attorney General's spokesperson is pointing to exigent circumstances as being the only way a dog can be seized without a warrant and there were none in Brampton, I think Brampton's legal department and outside counsel had better put their heads together, think hard and realize that the only way out of this morass is to return Brittany and Rambo to their owners. NOW.

Alternately, let's start a petition to get the OSPCA to investigate City of Brampton Animal Control for improper care of these dogs. Particularly since one Brampton A.C. is quoted to the effect that he is gunning for all the puppies; sounds very personal and vindictive to me. AC's refusal to allow the owners to visit and refusing to release dated pictures to evidence that these dogs are receiving decent care makes me really, really, really want to get into the shelter to see the reality of the situation. It is sickeningly reminiscent of all the impounded dogs in the U.K. who died, starved and abused, while waiting for court dates.

The same situation applies in Kingston; a woman was intimidated by Animal Control about her dog, a good dog that had done nothing wrong. Calleigh is a sweet dog who participates in dock diving; see pictures of Calleigh on MuddyPawz. Kingston city administrators had better think about their situation, cease all action against Calleigh and return her to her owner. NOW.

I wonder if the new City of Kingston website trying to attract people and investment makes mention of the City's prediliction for killing innocent, unoffending dogs. Here's a video of the Kingston protest. CKWS Television in Kingston also has video and a good sidebar.



These are not isolated incidents. There are hundreds, possibly thousands of people who have had their unoffending dogs snatched and killed. Many are women; some are seniors.

It's a reflection of how low this province has sunk that an Animal Control person can kill dogs and puppies who have done nothing wrong, terrorize people, break people's hearts and ruin lives.

Thanks, Dalton McGuinty and the sycophantic Liberals, for making Ontario into a place of terror for innocent dog owners and their unoffending dogs.

More bullshite in Brampton

The City of Brampton has hired outside counsel to persecute dog owners and kill innocent dogs. Read about it in the Brampton Guardian, and weep.

Brampton lawyers should be offended that Brampton hired a Toronto law firm.
What is Barnet Kussner's hourly rate?

Based on the statement from the Ontario Attorney General's office, Brampton's case against Mrs. Gaspar and Mr. Branco should be thrown out and I sincerely hope that the judge gives Brampton counsel an earful.

Brampton taxpayers should be enraged and kick every sitting member of City Council including the Mayor to the curb in the upcoming election. This vindictive affair has wasted hundreds of thousands of Brampton tax dollars...to what end?

The dogs had done nothing wrong, committed no offence, there were no complaints against them.

Brampton City Council is totally ineffective, obviously unable to control Animal Services. Does the local dog catcher run this so-called city?

To steal Caveat's idea, I hereby name the City of Brampton as a Tin Pot Town.

Daddy is at Rainbow Bridge, and stolen dogs found!!!

The dogs stolen with the truck in Montreal have been found!

Cesar Millan's Daddy passed away at the grand age of 16. My condolences to the Millan family on the loss of such a loving, beloved pet.

New Executive Director at Toronto Humane Society being examined...

...by a February 20th article in the National Post. A brief job history is given. Toronto Humane still hasn't answered the question...is Garth Jerome interim or permanent?

Decision is out on two THS matters

One is a decision on the report of the independent financial monitor, read it here. Look at paragraph 7.

The other is on the application of Linda MacKinnon to be an interventor, read it here.

Hat tip to Theoria for posting the links to these decisions.

RALLY FOR CALEIGH!! KINGSTON, ON!

Yet another innocent, unoffending dog has been targeted by breed-specific legislation in Ontario.

KINGSTON RALLY TO PROTEST PERSECUTION

OF RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS

Join your voices with ours to speak out against breed specific language in Ontario's Dog Owners' Liability Act.


Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Time: 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: In front of City Hall, Kingston, Ontario
216 Ontario Street, Kingston, ON K7L 2Z3 CANADA

The McGuinty Liberals' breed-specific legislation is unfounded, unjust, inhumane, vague, shoddy, proven ineffective and proven fiscally irresponsible. It targets responsible dog owners, while irresponsible dog owners just change breed/type of dog and continue to create dangerous dogs.

Write your MPP and tell him/her to vote in favour of MPP Cheri DiNovo's Bill 222 to remove the breed-specific language from Ontario's Dog Owners' Liability Act.

Behaviour of Toronto Humane Society board baffles again.

In a press release dated November 28, 2009, THS said:

"When the Toronto Humane Society and Hospital reopens we will immediately undertake the following actions.
- Hire a well-respected expert in the field of animal care as the Society's Interim Executive Director. This person will conduct a thorough review of Society operational practices including staffing levels, the number of animals taken in, and assist in the hiring of a
new Executive Director.
- Install a well-respected veterinarian to head our clinical team to ensure the best possible care is being provided to the animals and ensure the Society follows a responsible policy of euthanasia."

The THS website as of February 14, 2009 states:
"The Toronto Humane Society is pleased to announce that Garth Jerome has been appointed to the position of Executive Director of the Toronto Humane Society.
Mr. Jerome joined the Society early in 2008.
In addition to his medical and animal-related experience, over the past several weeks Garth has led the shelter operations through a very challenging period."

Why so little information, THS? Is Mr. Jerome the interim execdir or the permanent execdir? What exactly is Mr. Jerome's vaguely-referenced medical and animal-related experience? How many years' experience? What medical experience? Digging through the THS website, it says he's a microbiologist; doesn't say where he got his designation or how long he has been a microbiologist. What animal-related experience? What project management and financial management experience does Mr. Jerome have? Does he have any other professional designations - LLB, CA, DVM, CGA, CMA, PMP, CAPM, AHT or TVT? Googling Garth Jerome turns up only the THS announcement and a one-sentence quote in a THS website article. No on-line resume, no authorship of scientific papers.

You'da thunk that THS would have written a more glowing and informative announcement. The way it's written, this announcement raises more questions than it answers. I've seen better announcements for new clerical assistants. If I were Mr. Jerome and taking on this massive job, I'd be quite offended by this offhand announcement.

What happened to hiring a vet, which the animals need more than another administrator (or lawyer, for that matter)?

I'll point you to the Wikipedia definition of an executive director, which is a paid position, so you can understand how broad and powerful the position can be.