14
Our work isn’t done yet
We got what we wanted today.
We protested, we made phone calls, we sent emails, we blogged, we tweeted, we wrote comments on various websites expressing our outrage that the OSPCA would systematically kill healthy animals because they had or might have ringworm — a treatable fungal skin condition. And to this end, we have saved the majority of the animals from the OSPCA “ringworm massacre.”
They are safe. For now.
We must not forget that we lost 99 lives.
From the words we have heard, the OSPCA has halted the killings. Does this mean they will seek treatment for the 23 dogs and 91 cats that possibly still remain in harms way? Could their lives still be hanging in the balance? I don’t think we know for sure.
Now begins the next step.
Tanya Firmage director of animal care, Kate MacDonald OSPCA Ceo, and Rosaline Ryan director of marketing and communications
There remains much to do. As our incredible champion in this fight, Newmarket-Aurora MPP Frank Klees has stated: “There is an inherent conflict of interest within the animal protection system because the same charitable organization that provides shelter for creatures also acts as the inspection and enforcement body.” This must be addressed.
I think we also need to insist on a thorough investigation by an independent, outside party to what happened, what went wrong, and what new procedures should be implemented to prevent any similar future scenarios. This goes towards rebuilding our faith and our trust.
But beyond that and more immediate are the animals that have so far survived.
Let’s look at the numbers: we started with the 350 animals that the OSPCA announced they would kill over several days:
- 99 were killed immediately
- 15 were stolen
Roughly speaking here’s what’s left:
- 8 turtles (immune to ringworm)
- 96 animals already in foster
- 15 animals not affected by the outbreak; in isolation
- 23 dogs and 91 cats need to be tested further; seeking temporary shelter for up to a month.
We now need 233 homes; less if people adopt more than one animal.
We stood up to save these animals from a death they did not deserve, so now we need to home them — either in foster homes or adopted into forever homes. We need to give them what they have always deserved — a kind and loving family.
Will you do this? Will you be that home?
Please, the animals at the OSPCA still need us. Step forward again and be their home.
Or share this message with all your friends and ask them to share it with their friends.
Just as we were able to stop their deaths, we can find these wonderful creatures their forever homes.
We need to follow through on what we started when we decided to stand up for their lives.
Volunteer. Adopt. Share. Save a life!
Ciao, Holly
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10 Comments to “Our work isn’t done yet”
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Social Media Advisors
Please share this blog!
yvonne williams says:
I;m definitely in!!!! I am the administrator for the fb group "STOP THE SLAUGHTER OF OVER 350 ANIMALS AT THE NEWMARKET OSPCA"!!!! You're right, this is far from over!!! Will share!!!! Your welcome to post anything you want on the wall in the group too! <3
Holly says:
Many gracias for the share, Yvonne. Please ask your members to join Let's Adopt, too! We have done some great stuff here in the past few days! Let's take it the rest of the way!
Tweets that mention Our work isn’t done yet « Let's Adopt! Canada | saving animals, inspiring people -- Topsy.com says:
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Holly Ellis, Holly Ellis. Holly Ellis said: Our work isn’t done yet in Ontario. We still have lives to save. http://ow.ly/1KWlL [...]
Janette says:
We have stopped the mass murder for now, but we need some answers as to why this got so out of control in the first place!
Jane says:
I cannot continue to be a member of a group that consistently attacks shelters and others in the humane community. If you cannot see there is a spectrum of care and that disagreements naturally occur, though the end goal is the same, then you are not actually working in the thick of it. You are playing into the interests of those who most benefit – who are far removed, and prefer to keep it that way – from a fractured animal welfare contingent that has been infighting for decades rather than work constructively despite differences. This emotional language and pot-shotting is immature and you need to look beyond yourself and your opinions without using "for the animals" as your excuse. No one wants to kill family pets. But we work in reality, with limitations and pot-shotters all around. If you want to change reality, spare your opinions, work with others who see differently, and get your hands dirty.
Holly says:
I think you misunderstood my intent here. My apologies if I was not clear.
The public was presented with this scenario: "there is an outbreak of ringworm in our facility and we are going to kill all the animals. And we are starting right now."
Imagine our shock: ringworm is a treatable skin fungus.
As was the same for many people, my immediate reaction was naturally, "Whoa! Wait a minute! Let's explore other avenues for fixing this before we make such an irreversible leap."
We pointed our finger at a situation. There was no motive to attack a particular shelter or community, but a situation.
Was I "playing into the interests of those who most benefit?" No, I was playing into the interests of those with the most to lose… the animals caught in the middle. Should we have just sat back quietly and let this killing go on? I don't think so.
I believe this is the right thing to do when we see situations that appear wrong or when we are presented with scenarios that seem overly aggressive. We need to do what is right when the well-being of an animal is at stake. It would be wrong not to.
We support the direction the situation is now going, albeit cautiously. In this post, we stated that the journey has not ended just because the OSPCA declared a halt to the current killings. The original homelessness of these animals still hangs over their heads. We are urging people to follow through on their support by volunteering, adopting, fostering and/or sharing via their networks.
We are happy to report the progress in cleaning up the ringworm outbreak and the improvement in the health of the animals in OSPCA's care… "for the animals." Let us know.
Chris H says:
I agree with Janette that we need to know how this problem "got so out of control in the first place".
On TV, a spokesperson for the OSPCA branch in London, Ontario, the London Humane Society, said they had faced a similar outbreak a few years ago. Many animals were euthanized. Preventative measures were put in place & they haven't had a serious outbreak since. Are such measures currently in place at all OSPCA branches, or are they merely suggestions…?
The police do not have the authority to police themselves. If some funding of the OSPCA by the Province would guarantee accountability & transparency, as well as a public review board, perhaps that or something similar is worth exploring.
Chris H says:
I was very upset at the decision of the York OSPCA to euth animals because of ringworm. I can empathize with the volunteers & others who care about the welfare of unwanted pets. Irresponsible, uncaring, uneducated breeders, & pet owners are still at the root of the pet overpopulation problem. If society is really fed up with pets being treated like disposable items, then we must do more to prevent unwanted pets from being born. It's important to bring attention to the problems, but dealing with the overflow of unwanted animals is like using a mop & bucket to clean up water from a leaky dam while ignoring the cause of the flood, then arguing about what to do with all the water. (Please don't take my analogy literally – pets are not water!)
If there is are proactive groups in Ontario looking to fix the problems, including the ones at the source, I'd like to know. I will be asking my local OSPCA & animal rescue groups the same questions. I think many people would like to explore this.
Bruce says:
I was very upset at the decision of the York OSPCA to euth animals because of ringworm. I can empathize with the volunteers & others who care about the welfare of unwanted pets. Irresponsible, uncaring, uneducated breeders, & pet owners are still at the root of the pet overpopulation problem. If society is really fed up with pets being treated like disposable items, then we must do more to prevent unwanted pets from being born. It’s important to bring attention to the problems, but dealing with the overflow of unwanted animals is like using a mop & bucket to clean up water from a leaky dam while ignoring the cause of the flood, then arguing about what to do with all the water. (Please don’t take my analogy literally – pets are not water!)
If there is are proactive groups in Ontario looking to fix the problems, including the ones at the source, I’d like to know. I will be asking my local OSPCA & animal rescue groups the same questions. I think many people would like to explore this.
Amy says:
I agree with Janette that we need to know how this problem “got so out of control in the first place”.
On TV, a spokesperson for the OSPCA branch in London, Ontario, the London Humane Society, said they had faced a similar outbreak a few years ago. Many animals were euthanized. Preventative measures were put in place & they haven’t had a serious outbreak since. Are such measures currently in place at all OSPCA branches, or are they merely suggestions…?
The police do not have the authority to police themselves. If some funding of the OSPCA by the Province would guarantee accountability & transparency, as well as a public review board, perhaps that or something similar is worth exploring.