(Yes, I just got in to Utah after a night in Vegas, but I can't stay away from what's going on in Toronto.)
Tim Trow doesn't know why they'd be looking through his financial records. Umm, maybe it's because they don't trust him.
But the most interesting thing about this article comes from volunteer vet Johanna MacNaughton.
"We are going from cat to cat, looking up treatment records and doing what needs to be done."
About 10 vets were at the shelter Saturday; one was able to examine about four or five cats an hour, McNaughton said.
A big concern was the severity of upper respiratory infection among cats.
It's common in shelters, she said, "but if you follow certain procedures for isolation and treatment, you can certainly minimize the severity.
"The rate of infection is very high here.":
Financial records sought in Humane Society raid
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"I have seen things that have made me cry and haunted my dreams in that building," said Marcie Laking, a former animal-care worker who has spoken out numerous times against the society.
Laking started working at the society as a volunteer in 2001, and became a staff member in 2005. By 2006, what she had seen in the building had taken its toll.
"I remember taking dead animals when my shifts would start, and dead kittens," said Laking. "These animals are dying painful deaths – from ailments that are not being treated, are not being treated properly or can't be treated – and they are dying in their cages.":
Humane Society: 'It seems like a house of horrors'
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This article is very insightful in talking about the kind of neglect that went on at the Toronto Humane Society. It's not just the acute cases but the daily mismanagement of the facility that really took a toll on the animals:
Mummified cat found in Humane Society ceiling
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Buried in all this is the sad story of Bandit, the dog who bit and kept biting:
Bandit: Serial killer, beloved office pet
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"Whenever the public has questions, I think it's good to reassure them and let them know that we're not merely saying 'everything is fine, nothing to see here' — we are going take an internal look at ourselves," Ian McConachie told The Canadian Press.
"I don't think there's any problem reviewing our practices and determining if there's anything we can do to improve the shelter. I think all businesses and organizations should do that on a regular basis."
McConachie says this as though the old THS board voluntarily decided to do a self review like it was the next item on their to-do list. I don't suppose the arrests had anything to do with it:
Toronto Humane Society to review operations
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More about the Ontario agency that stayed home. What do they do again?:
Provincial agency refuses to step in at shelter
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Cats may be eating 6 year old expired food but the board still thinks it's doing a fine job. Now that's what I call good self esteem:
Humane Society cats ate six-year-old food, investigation suggests
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In case you want to know even more about Tim Trow:
The volatile volunteer who ran the show
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Holy shit, a somewhat insightful editorial in The Sun about the whole situation. Oh, no wonder, it's not written by Worthington. It's by Snobelen.
For all of that Jim will tell you that many owners wait too long to euthanize. As an animal lover and a vet he believes strongly when an animal is in significant pain and can't be made comfortable we have an obligation to euthanize.
And that's the case against the Toronto Humane Society; prolonging pain by avoiding the decision to euthanize is cruel.
I don't know how the legal battle with the Toronto Humane Society will turn out but I hope that the dogs and cats suffering in the shelter will find some peace. They deserve no less:
Toronto Humane Society arrests expose killer conundrum
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And last and least, some words from the horse's lawyer's mouth:
Statement from the Toronto Humane Society and Hospital
By removing the animal care attendants in this fashion you are putting the health and welfare of the animals who require care at risk. We understand that you are planning to remove a large number of animals that would normally receive care over the night shift. We would ask that you advise your client to bring back the night shift employees immediately.
We will hold your client responsible for the health and well being of any animal moved out of the premises by this illegal and unwarranted exercise.
We hold your client responsible for any costs that may result from this and the death of any animal caused by the OSPCA's illegal activities.
Firstly, note that the name of the place has been changed by the board to include the word "hospital". Ha ha ha. At most other large city humane societies and SPCAs, a functioning, internal animal hospital is taken to be a matter of fact. Why did the Toronto Humane Society feel the need to add that word to their title? Is it because they never regarded it as hospital before? Or do they really think that just because they've suddenly added the word "hospital" to their name they can now be excused for mixing sick animals with healthy animals? Does "hospital" excuse them for feeding their animals six year old expired food? Does "hospital" let them trap feral cats and then have them die in cages in the ceiling? Suddenly, I see a trend of a whole lot of animal abusers and hoarders out there calling themselves "hospitals".
And it looks like the old THS board is back to using scare tactics and already threatening to spend more money on more lawsuits. You might be able to teach an old dog new tricks but this board is unsalvageable. I say kick them out and let them eat bags of mouldy old fish.
As for the usefulness of the THS being open overnight ... Yeah, right. How's a skeleton staff of two to four people supposed to be able to deal with the public when they've already got a thousand plus animals to look after? Guess what would have happened if someone walked in off the street with a dog in distress after midnight especially if there was no vet available. Marcie Laking can tell you about the time she was on overnight and had to hold a dog as it died in her arms because there was no one there who could do anything about it.
Bravo THS. Your pathetic overnight service was about as useful as your public spay/neuter clinic.
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Update Nov. 30:
Omigod! Money gone mysteriously missing from the coffers of the THS? How ever could that have happened? I mean they give receipts for all cash and gift donations right? Right?
Ontario probes alleged employee theft, kickbacks at Humane Society
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I'd almost feel sorry for this old vet with no backbone, except that I don't.
Cruelty charge stuns 'fantastic' vet's friends
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I thought that the OSPCA's initial deadline seemed a bit optimistic. I'm hoping it'll take a few days longer and not a few weeks to get done everything they need to get done.
The most ominous statement coming from the OSCPA so far: There are approximately 1,000 animals at the shelter - 800 cats, 100 dogs and some 100 smaller animals, including rabbits, guinea pigs and raccoons. About half of those animals will be available for adoption when the service resumes, Strooband said.
On a happier note, the Ontario Public Guardian and Trustee has finally taken their viagra and is now stepping into the fray.
Humane Society closed indefinitely
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Update Dec. 1
More on the OPGT getting their hands into the mix.
"We are concerned with the stability and management of the THS and protection and preservation of the charities' assets," wrote Cynthia Spencer, counsel to the guardian's office, in the two-page letter obtained by the Star.
Arriving at the party kinda late but at least they arrived:
Humane Society warned by province
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The wildlife centre, located within the THS building on River St., opened in the mid-1980s and has been the target of frequent criticism. In 2006, veterinary technician Sandra Prins, who had resigned from the THS, told the Star she and other veterinary technicians had been asked to do wildlife work for which they had received "no training." Veterinarian Sue Carstairs, who had also resigned, said managers had failed to replace wildlife staff who had retired or been reassigned.
The centre, Prins said, was "an absolute mess. Sometimes there wouldn't be anyone to clean or feed there."
So the complaint was lodged 3 years ago and is only being taken seriously now. What's that saying about how evil succeeds when good people stand back and do nothing?
Wildlife taken from humane society
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More on Casper, the mummified cat found in the ceiling of the THS.
... investigators for the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals identified the remains of a cat found mummified in the shelter's ceiling, and THS records that indicated that the cat had been euthanized in October of 2008.
Huh? How fucked up is that?
Toronto shelter's use of donor funds questioned
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And now even more guests are showing up at the party.
The Ministry of Natural Resources executed a search warrant at the Toronto Humane Society’s River Street facility yesterday, becoming the latest provincial agency to launch an investigation of the charity.
A source said that the MNR’s conservation officers arrived with officials from the Ministry of Finance in tow, and that they would likely apply to have their warrant extended beyond its 6 p.m. deadline.
Raccoon release prompts new search of the THS
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Update Dec. 2
From Addario, lawyer for the THS board of directors:
"It's known in the animal-care industry that the OSPCA and the Toronto Humane Society have been at odds for several decades. The dispute between them is legal, professional, jurisdictional and philosophical ... especially animal care philosophies," Addario said.
True, if by "the OSPCA and the Toronto Humane Society have been at odds" Addario is refering to the fact that the OSPCA wants the THS to stop letting animals die inhumanely in their cages amongst a list of other disgusting practices, then yes, they are at odds with one another. Just because Trow has been doing whatever Trow does for so long and getting away with it doesn't mean it's not still just as horrid.
[Addario] also denounced what he called "tabloid style" investigation by the OSPCA, which has "unfairly demonized" the shelter.
Trow's THS knows all about the tabloid style and unfairly demonizing other shelters. The whole reason the THS ever caught my eye was because of all the crap they were spewing and still spew about Toronto Animal Services. And no, it's not another case of politics when it's just a one sided attack.
Humane society hires top criminal lawyer
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Reached at his home in Toronto, Walters readily acknowledged that raccoons had been released on his farm. He said, however, that it had not happened recently.
"It has happened in the past, but a long time ago," he said.
Told that cards appeared to show that raccoons were released on his farm in 2007, Walters said: "Not to my knowledge. But that doesn't mean it didn't happen, because they have access here any time they want. Heavens, I don't lock things up. It's all forest, 90 acres of forest. I've got three ponds – it's a perfect spot for animals."
Walters, 85, struggled with his memory during the evening telephone interview, at one point having difficulty recalling that the three-minute conversation was about raccoons.
Told that raccoon releases at his farm would violate provincial regulations, he said, "I don't know anything about that, anyway."
Oops. I think Bud just got his name crossed off of Trow's Christmas gift list.
Animals' release violated rules
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Dec. 3
Three months before the Ministry of Natural Resources removed all the animals from the Toronto Humane Society's wildlife department, a former shelter employee warned them of unprofessionalism and inhumane conditions.
In an eight-page letter, Nicole Richer detailed such violations as:
No employee had wildlife training, and only one had a rabies shot.
Raccoons were kept in the same room as domestic dogs, potentially exposing the pets to parasites.
The department was understaffed, preventing employees from feeding wildlife in a timely manner.
But it wasn't until Tuesday – days after the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals raided the shelter, arresting five people including its president and chief veterinarian – that the ministry removed the wild animals.
And Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield's reason for not possibly acting sooner: she didn't see the report.
Warnings about humane society shelter ignored
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From one of the volunteer vets working inside the THS right now:
just a quick update on today. it was a great day inside the shelter. we are slowly but surely getting organized and getting the animals back on track.
we met with an X rep this morning and have accepted their very gracious offer of pro-bono lab work for a month!!! a few hours after the meeting they had couriered over 5 huge boxes of supplies to get us started (blood/urine fecal collection ect...)
the X rep is also trying to enlist X to donate some free products.
one of my classmate came in to volunteer and she is absolutely amazing!!! she is extremely organized and see's the big picture/vision of what we are trying to accomplish. she has taken the reigns to help organize all the vets/techs that we hope to be volunteering in the coming weeks.
another amazing team from X animal hospital came to help us out. the vet has connections at the OVMA and there is now a notice going out to all vets for a call to help. he is also bringing in a vet tomorrow to do some emergency surgeries. an amputation and two enucleations.
X's clinic sent him and two techs over for the day to help. they got A LOT accomplished between the three of them.
we have ordered a lot of supplies to organize ourselves for the team of volunteers and also many supplies that have been in chronic shortage at the shelter for a long time.
the X pet sitters came in and groomed a few very matted cats. they are lovely and really keen to keep helping in the coming days.
i have created a few standardized forms for the vets to be filling out as they examine the animals so that evidence can be submitted to the investigators in an organized fashion and to flag animals for needed diagnostics and procedures.
things are pretty rough in there for the cats. for many of the long term cats in adoptions that i have examined, my medical notes from the beginning of the year (jan/feb) are the last notes. these poor cats haven't been seen by a vet in almost a year even though they have many ongoing medical problems.
ok, i should try to get some sleep now,
All the names of people and organizations have been X'd out in case some THS lawyer tries to sue them for helping out the animals.
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Dec. 5
At scandal's core is a legitimate debate
Historically, it's part of a long-running dispute over the direction of the Toronto society, between those who want it to take a more aggressive stance in support of animal welfare and those who would prefer that it stick more closely to the simple business of running a shelter.
Given that the Toronto society pulls in close to $10 million annually, it cannot help but be a dispute about money.
But underneath, the core of this battle is about which animals should be denied the right to live.
Should animals be killed only when they are terminally ill and in intense pain?
Or should they be killed at the point when they become expensive – either because the shelter has run out of room or because no one is willing to adopt them?
Talk about muddying the waters.
I wanted to write a comment to this editorial by Thomas Walkom in The Star but there are no comments allowed for this piece.
I wanted to write a blog post rebutting this editorial but then I'm thinking why bother? It's not as if Walkom reads this blog. If he did, he'd know that the "debate" with respect to the THS, isn't just about when to euthanize. It's about much more than that. It's about animal care in general. It's about what we as a city are willing to accept as minimum standards of animal care in a facility claiming to be an animal welfare organization. It's about what constitutes animal neglect. It's about what kinds of policies result in animal neglect whether that be due to brow beaten vets, staff and volunteers or due to funding priorities or due to any number of other factors.
And if Walkom actually thinks that the OSPCA and the attorney general's office would go ahead and lay charges of animal cruelty and obstruction to justice, charges which carry possible jail terms, just because of a funding spat between animal welfare charities, well, maybe he could show some proof of that.
It seems to me, though, someone's been drinking too much of THS' PR hooch.
I'm too tired right now to go on with this. If anyone wants to find out what the real state of the animals are in - and I'm not talking about the headline grabbing stuff, I'm talking about the day to day miseries they've had to endure that will never make the papers - then go talk to vets, workers and volunteers who have witnessed the conditions at the THS. Go talk to the vets who are working there right now trying to look after the 1000 plus animals. Go do some research deeper than just reading an ad put out by the THS board (p. 65) in that freebie tabloid Metro.
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Dec. 6
I don't think it surprises anyone who has had any dealings with the THS that they were having financial troubles. Being in arrears doesn't necessarily mean that the management is directly neglectful of the animals at the THS but it does add to the burden of trying to provide decent care. It's going to be hard to get vet help if vets don't think you're going to pay up. It's going to be hard to get businesses to deal with you in general if you get a reputation for not being able to pay bills on time.
Humane Society was behind on paying bills
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Dec. 7
Sick and sickening.
News release from the OSPCA.
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I come back 15 minutes later, and the dog was dead in its cage. It suffered, and it choked on its own vomit until it died because they wouldn't euthanize it."
Exerpted from the The Star article, Animals suffering, Society workers say
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Dec. 8
THS managers key to decline: volunteers
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The trash that led to Toronto Humane Society arrests
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Tuesday, December 8, 2009
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28 comments:
I adopted a cat from THS a couple of years ago. It took hours to see a worker and complete the adoption process. I asked for a copy of his treatment record which they handily forgot to give me until I demanded it as I was leaving. They did neuter the cat but he had been in isolation as he had been suffering from URI, which THS assured me was cured. I brought him home, kept him in isolation in a second bedroom for two weeks as I had another cat and was being super cautious. Despite washing my hands after contact with him, changing my clothes after exiting the room and keeping towels under the door, my othe cat contracted URI so badly that she was sneezing blood. $700 at the vet for that. I called THS and wrote them telling them that what had happened and not a single response, not even a "gee, we are sorry". I then discontinued my monthly support. You cannot reach a human at THS unless of course you call on the donation line...I figured that out quickly enough. The expired food...how much did they find, was it just a couple of cans or cases of the stuff, do they have proof it was fed to the animals? Where was my money spent? Where is the money?????? $10 million a year in donations and they have expired food? Trow says THS was audted by KPMG. Can the public see those records? Has the Office of the Public Trustee looked at those records? More and more and more questions come to mind here and very little answers that are not total pap pumped out by THS....
Now that they're a hospital, I wondered if they'd bring back low-cost spay/neuter. After all, OSPCA has one (albeit it's outside the city).
Good to "see" you again, Fred. Enjoy your trip to BF.
Peter Worthington has some pearls of wisdom too! I'm surprised it took him so long.
http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/peter_worthington/2009/11/28/11961541-sun.html
All of it's totally unbiased of course..I especially liked this part:
" By keeping open around the clock, every day of the year, the THS serves the community more conscientiously than, say, the Toronto Animal Services (which replaced the THS as a pound) which often has no dogs or cats available for adoption, but euthanizes 45% of those it admits."
Wow, I had no idea that TAS 'often' doesn't have cats!
Those with their heads buried in the sand aren't coming up any time soon.
Laura HP, thanks for that link. I should've known Worthington would have something to say. Interesting that he thinks TAS sometimes has no dogs or cats to adopt out.
I've never known there to be no cats to adopt out unless by no cats he actually means a lot of cats.
As for there being no dogs to adopt out, the only times I've ever heard mention of there being no dogs to adopt are when I write about it here on the blog but then I'm only refering to TAS South and that's only been twice in the last 3 years as far as I remember. There are, of course, still dogs at the other branches available for adoption. So, I'm not sure what Worthington means by "often" unless by "often" he means "hardly ever".
Fact checking fact checking fact checking - wherefore art thou?
If he's this good with his facts, I have to wonder about the usefulness of his opinions.
He needs to understand the reason behind having no dogs to adopt out. If one just followed his simplistic train of logic, one could think that having overcrowded hospitals is better than having ones with vacancies. It's not just about whether or not there are dogs available for adoption, it's about why there are, or aren't, dogs available for adoption. Is it because the adoption services work really well at one place vs the other where the public is treated like the enemy? Is it because the citizens of Toronto generally take care of their animals so there aren't a lot of strays? Is it because one facility doesn't warehouse loads of unadoptable dogs?
In terms of the expired food situation... I worked there three years ago and there were cases of rusted expired prescription food like k/d on the food stock shelves where we prepared food for the animals. I started throwing them out when a supervisor walked by me and asked me what I was doing. I told him that the food was long expired, cans were rusty, etc. He told me that I was not to throw out anything, that the expiry date didn't mean anything, and that if I was caught tossing out the food again I would be suspended.
Animal Care Workers actually had to hide the fact that they were getting rid of expired food. We were doing it a couple of cans at a time and making sure that the cans were at the bottom of the garbage cans so nobody would notice.
The next day we would start our shifts only to discover that they had brought up more expired food from the basement and retsocked the shelves.
The animals need clean blankets and towels ASAP. If you have some please drop them off at the THS.
Fred can you please put an alert on your blog?
Melanie
Worthington's a columnist, not a journalist. Hence his lack of fact-checking and logic. Any old coot with an opinion can be a columnist. Apparently he prefers to spout his opinions forth from on high without being questioned too, given that there's no way for readers to comment directly on his columns. I guess someone forgot to tell the Sun about that whole "new media" thing.
You tell it Fred!
That's the same argument we face with our local 'no kill' limited admission shelter. They're always accusing us of euthanizing animals 'even though we have empty kennels'. They don't seem to realize (even though we tell them over and over again) that the the animals we euthanize have nothing to do with space
Also I think rodent cages would be appreciated, if you want to mention it Fred.
I went in today....the small animal section is mind-blowing. There are over 60 rabbits, over 20 birds, and about 100 rats. 100 rats! Where do you find homes for 100 rats? And many of them have had litters - hence the need for cages.
Laura there are so many rats there because they don't sex them properly & they breed. What a mess.
The problem with the small animals (mostly rats) is that they had cat people working in the small domestics...of course they didn't know what they were doing, couldn't sex them properly and boom - tons of rat babies. I saw at least three litters that must have been born in the last few weeks. It's insane - it's hard enough to find a home for one rat, but 100?
With regards to overnight shifting, I went in last night for my 11pm-3am volunteer kitten feeding shift, I was a few minutes late and my fellow volunteer was given the full run down, id check, quizzing her about the layout of the building and PURSE INSPECTION.
Only to turn us away. Apparently the 'kittens get fed enough during the day.'
I'm not happy with the THS but I'm nervous about this OSPCA occupation at the same time. :/
While I have seen lots of intake in the evening on my volunteer shift, it is correct that often there aren't any vet technicians, not to mention vets working that shift. It's a shame, but they DO intake, I've witnessed it, whether it be lost animals, injured ones or even an ABANDONED dog left at 12:30am with a tumor the size of a honeydew melon on her hip. :/
Hi Ellstar, I not going to make any excuses for the volunteer protocol the OSPCA is enforcing right now as I don't know enough about it. Hopefully, better schedules will be worked out sooner than later especially with regards to kitten feeding.
You're right in that having some staff is better than no staff at night to deal with the public but it can also be misconstrued by some that it's okay to dump off an animal in need of critical care at the THS at 3 A.M. in the morning because of the claim that they are open 24/7. If the THS wants to stay open 24/7, then they need to staff accordingly or at the very least come up with rules for dropping off animals in the middle of the night and widely inform the public about those rules.
If the main job of the four person midnight shift, with regards to the public, is to divert callers to the Veterinary Emergency Clinic or to tell them to wait until morning, then advertising that the THS is open 24/7 is, in my opinion, misleading.
It would be great to have a shelter that is open to the public 24/7 but if that's going to be the case then needs to be done right.
For Ellstar: I think people also have to understand that unfortunate as it is that the OSPCA has to send people home at a certain time there's a very real reason why. This investigation is extremely sensitive. People don't understand the breadth of corruption and mismanagement that has gone on. There's a very real fear (and realistic fear) that if the wrong person "gets in" files could be removed/tampered with etc. They are doing the best they can to ensure the volunteers get in to help but they can't monitor every single person that comes in the building. In the evening the security guards have to monitor the entire building to ensure nothing is going on that could harm the investigation. Although the volunteers are no doubt there only for the animals, the truth is they are still strangers to the people doing the investigation. So it's impossible to leave people alone in the building to wander from room to room without being extremely careful. So unfortunately, unless you're key staff or known very well to the OSPCA security, you're undoubtedly going to be asked to leave the building when the OSCPA goes home at night. Don't forget - the people that created this mess are the ones that we need to focus on. An investigation wouldn't have been necessary had Tim and his crew allowed it to get to this point. And as a result of the investigation some volunteers are upset that they are being asked to leave in the evenings when it's "time to close up". Please everyone - lets' focus our energies and anger at the right people.
To save everyone a lot of calls, send a check or donate by credit card. Cheques made payable to OSPCA with THS in memo line and forwarded to OSPCA, 16586 Woodbine Avenue, R.R. #3, Newmarket L3Y 4W1. You can make the donation as a gift and have an acknowledgment card sent to the person in whose honour it is made and obviously including their address and your message.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
The theory behind attacking TAS was that if they didn't attack us, we'd take all their donor money. That's what I've been hearing anyway - so thanks, Trow.
The whole wildlife thing is just bizarre and unnecessary.
What's with the THS hospital claim? They haven't had night vet or vet tech staff in more than a decade.
If THS is a hospital, then howcome Dolores Quasim or whatever her name is (a director of THS) got to take her animals to a private vet and get reimbursed for it?
Gee, where in the hospital rules does it say to feed way-past-due food to the patients? And let them die in pain?
Or starve to death in a trap?
Thanks for the update from the volunteer Fred. It is so great to hear that so many people are coming together, and pitching in, whatever way they can to do what's best for the animals.
this makes me cry...
I understand that there is an investigation going on, and thank-you Fred for not making excuses for the OSPCA, despite getting a tour from thee. On the other hand, they are poor judeges of character when they deny volunteers and allow many of the same supervisors and senior administrators to have access to the computers and files. These same people who right after the 2Jun2009 raid went to work screwing with the records even more, ratting on people who seemed to be co-operating with the IG and having them fired. Now, when I go to volunteer I have the say-so of these cretins who I critized denying me because I criticised them.
"Is that too many? Tim Trow says it is."
He's talking about how many animals the OSPCA euthanizes. But talk to anyone who's been to the THS to help clean this mess, and ask 'Is that too many?' referring to how many animals they have in that building. It is too many with too few staff. If Walkom saw the hundreds of unsocialized, packed-in animals, I think it'd be easy to realize it's not just a politics thing. It's disturbing and things have to change.
Thank you for posting all these articles, Fred!
I'm very glad I stumbled upon this blog! It's helped really keep me in the know about everything that's going on with THS. It's hard for a lot of people outside of the animal welfare industry to really understand what's going on, so finding something like this is very helpful. Thanks, and I will be reading!
McConachie said the charity will sort out any lingering financial issues when the OSPCA investigation concludes and administrators are allowed to return to the building.
Is he serious?? Are they going to allow the same morons to run the place after the investigation is over? Or is this all just BS
Keep the updates coming Fred. We all appreciate your commitment to this horrible situation.
And yes we are all very jealous of your adventures this past week.
I cant wait for more stories and pics. I really want to hear how they run BF with so much precision and so little discord.
Hi Heather B, it's just McConachie telling everyone about the fairy tale world he still lives in. There are no guarantees at this point who's going to be running the THS but you can bet most everyone is going to be trying really hard to keep the old crew out.
Trow's lawyer... Andras Schreck,
Head veterinarian Steve Sheridan has hired lawyer Marie Henein, manager Gary McCracken has hired Scott Hutchison and some members of the board of retained Frank Addario. OK that is four more on the payroll. Who is paying for this? Do they have D&O insurance? Do the lawyers have a retainer agreement and, if so, who is contracted to pay their fees? THS or the accused personally?
Donation Drive for the Animals
The Toronto Humane Society Protest Group is organizing a HUGE donation drive for the animals at the Toronto Humane Society this weekend! There are over 1000 animals at the shelter right now that need your help. The animals will really appreciate the donations and the staff and volunteers will put them to good use!
Between the hours of 7am and 7pm on Saturday December 12th and Sunday December 13th please drop off donations at the Toronto Humane Society. The address is 11 River Street, which is at the corner of Queen Street East and River St.
Here is a list of supplies that the animals in the shelter desperately need.
For the Dogs
Used and new blankets. Please avoid down filled comforters as some of the dogs like to destroy their blankets. Feathers make a huge mess.
Dog beds of all sizes.
Good quality leashes and collars of all sizes. Please make sure they are strong. We wouldn’t want any dogs to break away from their collars while on a walk.
Plastic basket muzzles of all sizes. Pit Bulls need to wear them on their walks.
Plastic bags for the dog walkers
Strong dog toys of various sizes. Kongs, and squeaky toys for the cages, frisbees and large rubber balls for the dog parks.
Grooming supplies. Hair clippers, nail clippers, brushes, shampoo,
For the Cats
Plastic cat toys. Plastic ones are better than fabric ones as the plastic ones can be disinfected properly. The cats and kittens have been living in small cages with almost no stimulation. Some of these cats have been at the shelter for years and would appreciate a toy.
Towels and small cat beds for their cages.
Powdered KMR (Kitten Meal Replacement).
Large plastic litter boxes with no hood.
Cat treats
Grooming supplies like nail clippers and brushes.
Metal Bowls (no plastic please)
For the little guys in the small domestics department
Hideaways and Houses
Hammocks
Tunnels
Toys
Food
Exercise wheels
Water bottles that clip to the cage
Cages of all sizes
Bedding and Litter
Anything else you think that a rabbit, rat, mouse, guinea pig, hamster, gerbil, or chinchilla would enjoy.
http://helpths.wordpress.com
That's great about the donation drive! I'm sure lots of much needed supplies will be gathered.
For small domestics, toys would be super super appreciated...like the cats, the rabbits have been sitting in cages with absolutely no stimulation. Plastic cat toys or baby toys (like rattles or chew toys) would be awesome.
Also hay would be amazing because the current hay is quite dry and dusty.
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