Comments on: Our work isn’t done yet

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 05:09:18 +0000

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.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Sat, 22 May 2010 05:21:30 +0000

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.

By: Chris H

Chris H — Fri, 14 May 2010 21:57:54 +0000

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.

By: Chris H

Chris H — Fri, 14 May 2010 21:56:59 +0000

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…?

By: Holly

Holly — Fri, 14 May 2010 21:44:29 +0000

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.