From the Toronto Sun today:
Animals are biggest losers in Humane Society dispute: Worthington
By Peter Worthington
After months of turmoil, arrests for alleged cruelty, accusations hurled back and forth, the Toronto Humane Society is back in control ... of the Toronto Humane Society.
The OSPCA “raided” and took over the THS some six months ago, removing its president, head veterinarian and others in handcuffs, charging them with cruelty.
As hearings were to go before the Ontario Superior Court to have the THS board of directors thrown out, a deal was cut with the OSPCA for the board to resign.
Instead, the THS will take over control of their animal shelter and shut it down for two months, cleaning up the joint, re-training staff, and electing a new board of directors whom Justice David Brown urged to show “vigilance and diligence” to ensure things don’t get out of control.
So what’s the net result of the crisis that shocked the local animal world?
Eleven hundred animals housed in the shelter at the time of the celebrated OSPCA raid — well-attended by media who’d been forewarned — have been reduced to around 200. Most of these will be disposed of before the THS re-opens.
So what has happened to the other 900 animals?
The OSPCA says some were adopted, some went into foster care, some to the OSPCA, some to Toronto Animal Services (TAS). The sick or injured were euthanized.
Put bluntly, it seems a safe bet that most of the animals were put down — killed, because that’s what the OSPCA and TAS does best. Gone, forever, is the THS’ reluctance to kill. Its celebrated 7% kill rate under President Tim Trow is no more. It’s likely to rise to the 50% rate of other shelters.
Go ask the TAS what cats and dogs they have for adoption. They’ll likely tell you none are available at the moment and that they euthanize on Fridays — which is fair enough, since the TAS is more a pound than an animal care centre.
At the time it was raided, THS policy was not to kill healthy animals even those that couldn’t be adopted. Volunteers walked dogs daily, and there was a foster care program for others. Adoption more or less hinged on what the person could pay.
In this sense it was more “humane” that many humane societies.
Even on Monday, THS spokesman Ian McConachie assured the public that animals are not being destroyed. “We are not abandoning the animals in our care and simply putting them down.”
No question, the THS erred on the side of not killing — even for animals it would be humane to euthanize. Directors may have been negligent, inattentive or wrong, but proving “cruelty” may be difficult.
In short, if the THS couldn’t get a dog or cat adopted, no one could. Torontonians who pay attention to animals, know this.
Which is why I’m uneasy about the Association to Reform the Toronto Humane Society (ART), which wants the current board members banned from running for election again.
Not very “democratic.” There’s a vigilante or vindictive quality to ART.
A new board may well include people like acting President Bob Hambley, who for decades has served on THS boards, and seems ideal for bridging the gap.
Some 3,000 THS members should know the personalities of those they elect, just as they know most of the animals the OSPCA rescued form THS “cruelty” have likely since been dispatched to the Great Kennel in the Sky. Some rescue!
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The Official Blog of The Animal Guardian Society.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Adoptions Are Crazy!
Very happy to report that our adoptions are really going well!
This week alone we have 4-5 home visits!
Most of the dogs being adopted are dogs that were rescued from local shelters.
We owe a great thank you to our foster homes, without them we could not save
these animals.
Foster home are really needed as we head into the spring season and shelters fill
quickly.
If you have ever thought of becoming a foster family please contact us for further
information.
This week alone we have 4-5 home visits!
Most of the dogs being adopted are dogs that were rescued from local shelters.
We owe a great thank you to our foster homes, without them we could not save
these animals.
Foster home are really needed as we head into the spring season and shelters fill
quickly.
If you have ever thought of becoming a foster family please contact us for further
information.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Rest in Peace Daddy
You may or may not be a fan of Cesar Millan, but if you have ever watched his pitbull
Daddy you have to be a fan of this wonderful dog.
Daddy gave a side that people often never hear of, that Pitbulls are well behaved
loving dogs.
I always loved they way he would waddle behind Cesar on the Dog Whisper show, such
a funny old dog.
At 16 years of age, it still seems to young. As all dog lovers and animals lovers
would say our pets leave us far too young.
So rest in peace Daddy, and maybe one day we will meet in that big dog house in the sky.
Cesar Millan, all his family and friends, his staff and volunteers, and dog lovers all around the world today will mourn the passing of one of the most loyal, trusting, well-balanced, and influential pit bull ambassadors the world has ever known. Daddy, Cesar's longtime friend and partner in canine rehabilitation, died peacefully surrounded by family on Friday the 19th of February. He was sixteen years old.
He lived each day of those sixteen years happy and fulfilled as Cesar's right-hand-"man," helping to shape the behavior of entire generations of dogs by showing them the way to balance. He stood as champion for calm-submissive pit bulls everywhere, and was instrumental in helping to repair their image as violent, savage, uncontrollable beasts. He successfully battled cancer and weathered chemotherapy, and even got the opportunity to present at the 56th Annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards!
His name is now added to that honorable roster of dogs gone by whose influence is still felt today, and which includes some of Cesar's beloved childhood heroes: "Rin-Tin-Tin." "Lassie." ... "Daddy."
He has been immortalized by Dog Whisperer fans in all mediums, from painting, to photographs, to charcoal drawings and papier-mâché sculpture. And, of course, he lives on in his work, reflected in the balance and calm-submission of his protégé Junior, the countless animals to whom he was a positive role model, and in the hearts and minds of everyone who knew him as a calm, sweet, and mellow example of a widely misunderstood breed.
In Loving Memory.
If you would like to express your sympathy, post a comment on Daddy's memorial page or send a message through our contact form. Select the category "Express my condolences for Daddy's passing" to ensure it goes to the correct email address.
To honor Daddy's legacy, the Daddy's Emergency Animal Rescue ["DEAR"] Fund has been established by the Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation.
The DEAR Fund will provide assistance for dogs who are victims of abuse or violence, man-made disasters, and large-scale natural disasters.
If you would like to honor Daddy's memory and the contributions he made to improve the lives of animals, you can make a donation by visiting MillanFoundation.org/daddyfund
www.cesarsway.com | www.millanfoundation.org
Daddy you have to be a fan of this wonderful dog.
Daddy gave a side that people often never hear of, that Pitbulls are well behaved
loving dogs.
I always loved they way he would waddle behind Cesar on the Dog Whisper show, such
a funny old dog.
At 16 years of age, it still seems to young. As all dog lovers and animals lovers
would say our pets leave us far too young.
So rest in peace Daddy, and maybe one day we will meet in that big dog house in the sky.
Cesar Millan, all his family and friends, his staff and volunteers, and dog lovers all around the world today will mourn the passing of one of the most loyal, trusting, well-balanced, and influential pit bull ambassadors the world has ever known. Daddy, Cesar's longtime friend and partner in canine rehabilitation, died peacefully surrounded by family on Friday the 19th of February. He was sixteen years old.
He lived each day of those sixteen years happy and fulfilled as Cesar's right-hand-"man," helping to shape the behavior of entire generations of dogs by showing them the way to balance. He stood as champion for calm-submissive pit bulls everywhere, and was instrumental in helping to repair their image as violent, savage, uncontrollable beasts. He successfully battled cancer and weathered chemotherapy, and even got the opportunity to present at the 56th Annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards!
His name is now added to that honorable roster of dogs gone by whose influence is still felt today, and which includes some of Cesar's beloved childhood heroes: "Rin-Tin-Tin." "Lassie." ... "Daddy."
He has been immortalized by Dog Whisperer fans in all mediums, from painting, to photographs, to charcoal drawings and papier-mâché sculpture. And, of course, he lives on in his work, reflected in the balance and calm-submission of his protégé Junior, the countless animals to whom he was a positive role model, and in the hearts and minds of everyone who knew him as a calm, sweet, and mellow example of a widely misunderstood breed.
In Loving Memory.
If you would like to express your sympathy, post a comment on Daddy's memorial page or send a message through our contact form. Select the category "Express my condolences for Daddy's passing" to ensure it goes to the correct email address.
To honor Daddy's legacy, the Daddy's Emergency Animal Rescue ["DEAR"] Fund has been established by the Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation.
The DEAR Fund will provide assistance for dogs who are victims of abuse or violence, man-made disasters, and large-scale natural disasters.
If you would like to honor Daddy's memory and the contributions he made to improve the lives of animals, you can make a donation by visiting MillanFoundation.org/daddyfund
www.cesarsway.com | www.millanfoundation.org
Spay Neuter Durham
On Thursday Feb. 18th, a group of animal rescue volunteers gathered to discuss
opening a spay neuter clinic in Durham Region.
This project has a long way to go, but with the support of our community we can
make this clinic a reality.
Show your support by joining our Facebook page at spayneuterdurham
Fundraising events are needed, donations, volunteer experienced in writing grant
proposals.
If you have a talent that we can use please step up and join the team!
opening a spay neuter clinic in Durham Region.
This project has a long way to go, but with the support of our community we can
make this clinic a reality.
Show your support by joining our Facebook page at spayneuterdurham
Fundraising events are needed, donations, volunteer experienced in writing grant
proposals.
If you have a talent that we can use please step up and join the team!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Vick proves he doesn't know the meaning of courage
Vick proves he doesn't know the meaning of 'courage'
Published: December 29, 2009
By WALTER and
ROSEMARY BRASCH
The Philadelphia Eagles honored reserve quarterback and admitted dog-killer Michael Vick with an award for courage. Yes, you read that right. "Michael Vick" and "courage" are in the same sentence.
Each of the 32 NFL teams annually honors one of its own with an Ed Block award, named for the Baltimore Colts head trainer who was an advocate for improving the lives of neglected and abused children; the Foundation says it celebrates "players of inspiration in the NFL." Unfortunately, there is no stipulation that football players who abuse animals are ineligible receivers.
Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb told the Philadelphia Inquirer the award was "well deserved." Vick, his team, and what appears to be a loyal foundation of fans who believe Vick will help lead the Eagles into a Super Bowl, all believe the man who ran Bad Newz Kennels has "seen the light," has reformed, and is now a model citizen.
However, Vick's own words show the humility and humbleness that he should have are still missing from his egocentric world of sweating multi-millionaires.
"It means a great deal to me," Vick told the media, gloating that he "was voted unanimously by my teammates. They know what I've been through. I've been through a lot. It's been great to come back and have an opportunity to play and be with a great group of guys. I'm just ecstatic about that, and I enjoy every day." He further justified the honor by explaining, "I've overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can handle or bear." Elaborating, he declared, "You ask certain people to walk through my shoes, they probably couldn't do. Probably 95 percent of the people in this world because nobody had to endure what I've been through, situations I've been put in, situations I put myself in and decisions I have made, whether they have been good or bad."
He said, "There's always consequences behind certain things and repercussions behind them, too. And then you have to wake up every day and face the world, whether they perceive you in the right perspective, it's a totally different outlook on you. You have to be strong, believe in yourself, be optimistic. That's what I've been able to do. That's what I display." Not once in his statements to the media did Michael Vick apologize for what he did, or for the deals he cut in order to be restored to the status of a millionaire athlete. Everything he said was focused upon his own "courage," with "I" being the prevalent word.
Perhaps Michael Vick isn't aware that courage is not being so vacuous as to believe it was acceptable to breed and arrange for dogs to fight to the death, to allow equally malevolent "fans" to bet on the matches, and by the cruelest means possible to kill dogs who didn't perform as well as he thought they should. Going to prison for 18 months, losing two seasons of multimillion dollar income, having to work out to get into fighting condition, and then earning about $1.6 in his first year back into the NFL, with a second year option for about $5 million, isn't courage.
In case Michael Vick doesn't know what courage is, here are just a few examples. There are thousands of others.
Courage is the soldier who is on 100 percent disability from combat wounds who is now working almost every hour of every day with physical therapists, social workers, and other medical personnel to try to regain even the most remote possibility of being able to walk again.
Courage is the firefighters who risk their lives to rescue people and their pets from burning buildings.
Courage is law enforcement personnel who put their lives on the line to serve and protect the people.
Courage is the "whistle blower" who risks a job and family stability to point out greed and corruption within a business, educational institution, or governmental agency.
Courage is the lone dissenter who fights for social and economic justice in a society that is determined to continue the "me generation."
Courage is the recent graduate who delays entry into the job market, the mid-career executive who gives up the fast track, or the senior citizen who decides there is more to life than retirement, and volunteers for AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, or any of hundreds of non-profit organizations that have taken on the burden of helping those who society has made invisible.
Courage is the parents who work two low-income service jobs, support their families, and still donate time and money to charities that help those less fortunate than they.
Courage is the family who last year had a home and job, and this year has neither but survives day to day.
Courage is the animal rights advocates who risk their lives to fight against governments that allow the killing of whales, bears, seals, wolves, and hundreds of other animals; and to humane society staff and innumerable volunteers who rescue abandoned and abused animals, and who work with them to try to give them a better life.
But most important, courage is all the people who know no matter what obstacles they overcome today, tomorrow will present the same challenges, and that they will never have any hope to be a millionaire or to receive an award for surviving against tremendous odds.
In his comments after being notified of the award, Michael Vick proved himself to be an unworthy spokesman for anything or anyone other than himself.
Dr. Walter Brasch is an award-winning social issues columnist, former newspaper investigative reporter and editor, and journalism professor. His latest book is Sinking the Ship of State: The Presidency of George W. Bush. Rosemary Brasch is a former secretary, Red Cross national disaster family services specialist, labor activist, and university instructor of labor studies.
Published: December 29, 2009
By WALTER and
ROSEMARY BRASCH
The Philadelphia Eagles honored reserve quarterback and admitted dog-killer Michael Vick with an award for courage. Yes, you read that right. "Michael Vick" and "courage" are in the same sentence.
Each of the 32 NFL teams annually honors one of its own with an Ed Block award, named for the Baltimore Colts head trainer who was an advocate for improving the lives of neglected and abused children; the Foundation says it celebrates "players of inspiration in the NFL." Unfortunately, there is no stipulation that football players who abuse animals are ineligible receivers.
Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb told the Philadelphia Inquirer the award was "well deserved." Vick, his team, and what appears to be a loyal foundation of fans who believe Vick will help lead the Eagles into a Super Bowl, all believe the man who ran Bad Newz Kennels has "seen the light," has reformed, and is now a model citizen.
However, Vick's own words show the humility and humbleness that he should have are still missing from his egocentric world of sweating multi-millionaires.
"It means a great deal to me," Vick told the media, gloating that he "was voted unanimously by my teammates. They know what I've been through. I've been through a lot. It's been great to come back and have an opportunity to play and be with a great group of guys. I'm just ecstatic about that, and I enjoy every day." He further justified the honor by explaining, "I've overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can handle or bear." Elaborating, he declared, "You ask certain people to walk through my shoes, they probably couldn't do. Probably 95 percent of the people in this world because nobody had to endure what I've been through, situations I've been put in, situations I put myself in and decisions I have made, whether they have been good or bad."
He said, "There's always consequences behind certain things and repercussions behind them, too. And then you have to wake up every day and face the world, whether they perceive you in the right perspective, it's a totally different outlook on you. You have to be strong, believe in yourself, be optimistic. That's what I've been able to do. That's what I display." Not once in his statements to the media did Michael Vick apologize for what he did, or for the deals he cut in order to be restored to the status of a millionaire athlete. Everything he said was focused upon his own "courage," with "I" being the prevalent word.
Perhaps Michael Vick isn't aware that courage is not being so vacuous as to believe it was acceptable to breed and arrange for dogs to fight to the death, to allow equally malevolent "fans" to bet on the matches, and by the cruelest means possible to kill dogs who didn't perform as well as he thought they should. Going to prison for 18 months, losing two seasons of multimillion dollar income, having to work out to get into fighting condition, and then earning about $1.6 in his first year back into the NFL, with a second year option for about $5 million, isn't courage.
In case Michael Vick doesn't know what courage is, here are just a few examples. There are thousands of others.
Courage is the soldier who is on 100 percent disability from combat wounds who is now working almost every hour of every day with physical therapists, social workers, and other medical personnel to try to regain even the most remote possibility of being able to walk again.
Courage is the firefighters who risk their lives to rescue people and their pets from burning buildings.
Courage is law enforcement personnel who put their lives on the line to serve and protect the people.
Courage is the "whistle blower" who risks a job and family stability to point out greed and corruption within a business, educational institution, or governmental agency.
Courage is the lone dissenter who fights for social and economic justice in a society that is determined to continue the "me generation."
Courage is the recent graduate who delays entry into the job market, the mid-career executive who gives up the fast track, or the senior citizen who decides there is more to life than retirement, and volunteers for AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, or any of hundreds of non-profit organizations that have taken on the burden of helping those who society has made invisible.
Courage is the parents who work two low-income service jobs, support their families, and still donate time and money to charities that help those less fortunate than they.
Courage is the family who last year had a home and job, and this year has neither but survives day to day.
Courage is the animal rights advocates who risk their lives to fight against governments that allow the killing of whales, bears, seals, wolves, and hundreds of other animals; and to humane society staff and innumerable volunteers who rescue abandoned and abused animals, and who work with them to try to give them a better life.
But most important, courage is all the people who know no matter what obstacles they overcome today, tomorrow will present the same challenges, and that they will never have any hope to be a millionaire or to receive an award for surviving against tremendous odds.
In his comments after being notified of the award, Michael Vick proved himself to be an unworthy spokesman for anything or anyone other than himself.
Dr. Walter Brasch is an award-winning social issues columnist, former newspaper investigative reporter and editor, and journalism professor. His latest book is Sinking the Ship of State: The Presidency of George W. Bush. Rosemary Brasch is a former secretary, Red Cross national disaster family services specialist, labor activist, and university instructor of labor studies.
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