Canadian Publications Agreement Number 40659555 Canadian Publications Agreement Number 40659555 Reaching Out Grand Opening of the Victoria Park Adoption Centre Bill 50: Flawed Raise your voice for the animals Page 8
Nov 16, 2014
Canadian Publications Agreement Number 40659555Canadian Publications Agreement Number 40659555
Reaching OutGrand Opening of the
Victoria Park Adoption Centre
Bill 50: FlawedRaise your voice for the animals Page 8
The Toronto Humane Society11 River St., Toronto ON, M5A 4C2
Tel: 416.392.2273 Fax: 416.392.9978
email: [email protected]
website: www.torontohumanesociety.com
Canadian Charitable Registration Number 11925 9513 RR0001
Society OfficersTim Trow, President
Bob Hambley, Secretary-Treasurer
Joan Milne, Vice-President
Sandi Hudson, Vice-President
Carol Lupovich, Vice-President
Board of DirectorsStephen Dooley Carol Lupovich
Bob Hambley Patricia McIlhone
Sandi Hudson Joan Milne
Pam Inglis Laurie Overton
Gino Innamorato Delores Qasim
Alan Johnson Tim Trow
Valerie Jones Bud Walters
Animaltalk is printed on recycled paper and
distributed free of charge to approximately
50,000 Society donors and members.
ISSN 1192-4861
Mission Statement: To promote the humane care and protection of all animals and to prevent cruelty and suffering
Summer 2008 IssueCover StoriesMaking History 24Bill 50: Flawed 8
FeaturesSaving Cyrus; Saving Tre 3New Homes
Gimme Shelter 4Sweet and Low 5
Gifts 14Rescue 15Memberships 18
ShelterKitten Nursery 6Fields of Green 20Small Domestics and Birds 30Wildlife 33
MarginaliaHealth 32Safety Rating 16Marlies Put “Fun” in Fundraising 17Emergency Response, 17Amazing Result
ColumnsFighting Like Cats and Dogs - 9Peter Worthington
It’s a Dogs Life and Death - 22Ken Gallinger
Gifted - 34Kelly
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk2
“It’s your e-mails and support that did it. Thank you.” - Tre Smith
HE’S BACK!!!Agent Smith Reinstated, Dec 8, 2007.
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 3
Saving Cyrus; Saving TreCyrus has made a remarkable recovery and lives
with a family who love him. As for Tre...
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk4
Anne, a volunteer dog
walker with the THS since
April 2005, created a bit of a family
reunion when she visited the
shelter with a pair of hard-to-adopt
dogs she has recently given a home
to. Niki, a big, bold, beautiful 13-
year-old Rottweiler/Shepherd cross
who found refuge at the THS after
her owner fell ill, has been with
Anne since Easter, 2008. Joey, a
Boston Terrier, has shared Anne’s
home since September, 2007. This
odd couple joins the ranks of four
other senior dogs who have spent
their final days with Anne: Roger,
Toby, Bessie and Pippi. “I can’t
stand the thought of older, ill dogs
spending their last days without a
home, so I make room for them
in my home,” explains Anne.
While the previous dogs spent
their final months with Anne,
these two may become more
permanent fixtures. Joey, who
suffers from immune system
issues, is thriving after the THS
head vet Dr. Steve Sheridan
established the right balance of
medication and nutrition. And
Niki, while enduring the sort of
joint problems typical of large
breed dogs, is a friendly puppy at
heart and is in excellent health.
Plus the two of them get along
as if they’ve been together for
ever, which is a perfect recipe
for a long, healthy life.
New Homes
Gimme ShelterVolunteer dog walker takes home the tough cases
Anne, flanked by Niki (left) and Joey on a recent visit to the THS.
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 5
New Homes
Sweet Pea arrived on a Saturday
morning in April, left in a cardboard box
in the driveway of the THS. She was terrified,
undernourished, blind, deaf, and had a small
but obvious tumor in her belly. The folks in the
THS Clinic cared for her and then we took her
on Animal House Calls (A weekly program on
CP24, hosted by animal-lover Ann Rohmer)
to highlight her story. Next thing we knew
Annette and Hank were in the lobby of the
THS signing the adoption papers. “We saw
her on Animal House Calls,” says Annette,
“and I couldn’t stop crying: That sweet little
girl deserves to be pampered.”
Sweet and low
Annette and Frank with Sweet Pea.
Retrofits
These are shots of our new elevator, a gift from the Trillium Foundation. The foundation also enabled us to build a
first-ever washroom for visitors and staff with special needs.
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk6
Kitten Nursery
KITTENS!!!Every spring hundreds of volunteers mobilize to help us deal with themassive influx of pregnant cats and newborn kittens. By the time the littlefelines make it into our adoption program, they look healthy, happy andadorable. But take our word for it, the THS Kitten Nursery is one of thebusiest and most demanding places you’ll ever visit. By the time the mainkitten rush winds down, hundreds of kittens will have been born, weaned,medically treated and adopted by loving families. Phew!
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 7
Kitten Nursery
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk8
Dear Reader:
Bill 50, Provincial Animal
Welfare Act, 2008, must be
changed because section 6 is
likely to lead to our being
stripped of our name and
identity of 121 years.
Fortunately, section 6 is
superfluous to animal
protection, the real intent of
the Bill. Nothing will be
lost if it is gone from the Bill
and I urge you to ask your
MPP to vote to remove it.
The Legislature debated
Bill 50 off and on for about
a week in June and has
now prorogued for the
summer. The good news is
that our letters and emails
have led to Bill 50 being
referred to legislative
committee for review.
The upcoming committee
hearing is only a reprieve and
as of today section 6 remains.
But the hearing presents an
opportunity to avert the
injustice of having our name
and identity stripped from
us. I urge you to attend the
Committee hearing the week
of July 21-25.
People nowadays may not
realize that in 1887 The
Toronto Humane Society was
the first organization in
Canada to call itself “humane
society”. All others chose
“society for the protection of
animals”. (Animal Welfare
and Humane Values, Preece
& Chamberlain, 1995,
Wilfred Laurier University
Press, p. 35)
The reason for section 6 is
possible confusion, but for
121 years we have been
known as The Toronto
Humane Society
headquartered in Toronto as
distinct from the Ontario
Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals
headquartered in
Newmarket. In all that time,
we have never been
confused with one another.
But there will be certain
dislocation and loss of
opportunities for animals if
section 6 becomes law and
our name is stripped away.
Animals will be at risk
because people needing
shelter or hospitalization for
animals won’t know where
to find it. Our income,
dependent 100% on
donations, will plummet
because it comes from name
recognition and faith in our
strong history of community
service. If we must cut staff
and services we will become
smaller and weaker, less
influential, and less able to
speak out powerfully against
animal abuse.
Phone calls, letters and
emails – together with our
presence at Committee -- will
convince Minister Bartolucci
that section 6 ought to be
removed from Bill 50.
The Minister doesn’t
want to leave animals with
nowhere to go. But the risk
is real. If enacted, it
appears section 6 will force
The Toronto Humane
Society to choose between
either being stripped of our
name, or abandoning our
Victoria Park Adoption
Centre and stopping our
cruelty police, veterinarians,
adoption staff, rescue
officers, and volunteers
from serving Etobicoke,
North York or Scarborough.
It’s a Catch-22 the
animals can’t afford.
TIM TROW, President
Bill 50: FlawedRaise Your Voice for the Animals
Here’s how to speak for those whocannot speak for themselves. Please:• Email, (telephone or write) your MPP at Queen’s Park
and copy Premier McGuinty, Minister Bartolucci and TheToronto Humane Society. Our information line will giveyou your MPP’s email and telephone number.
Your MPP:[email protected]@[email protected]@torontohumanesociety.com
and/or
• Attend the Standing Committee on Justice Policy. Wewill post the exact date and time on the websitewhen it is announced.
For more InformationOn Bill 50 and MPP email addresses and telephonenumbers, please visit www.torontohumanesociety.comor call 416-392-2273 Ext. 2117 or 2765 or 2123
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 9
Bill 50: Flawed
Largely unnoticed in Bill
50 is the revision of
Section 10 in the old act that
says no society, association
or group "established after
the 30th day of May, 1955,"
shall function as an animal
welfare or cruelty prevention
organization" unless it is
ncorporated and becomes
affiliated" with what then
was the Ontario Humane
Society and is now renamed
the Ontario Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (OSPCA).
Thus, animal welfare
bodies in business prior to
1955, seemed to escape
domination by the OSPCA,
which has been rent
asunder in recent years by
controversy, weak finances,
mass resignations, internal
feuds, etc.
Section 10 in the new act
is revised to say only groups
affiliated with the OSPCA
shall "use the name
'humane society' ... or 'spca'
or the equivalent of any of
those names ... Giving the
OSPCA control over the
name "humane society"
(which it has dropped and
no longer uses) has caused
alarm among some, who
believe it gives the OSPCA
undue power to threaten
and intimidate.
The Toronto Humane
Society (THS) has feuded
over the years with the
OSPCA. Although it has
been in existence for 121
years and is a beloved
Toronto institution, the
THS feels vulnerable with
this amended clause.
"It means that if
we break our affiliation
with the OSPCA, or they
kick us out for any reason,
by this new law we could
lose our name -- a name
that has meant goodwill
and trust for generations,
and is essential to our
fundraising," says Tim
Trow, president of the THS.
"Donations from the
public and gifts are our
only source of funds. We
get no grants, no handouts
from government."
Last week Trow wrote to
Rick Bartolucci, Ontario's
minister of community
safety, urging the removal
of the inflammatory section
from Bill 50. He called it
"an insurmountable conflict
of interest because the
Ontario SPCA will become
both regulator and
fundraising competitor to
its 32 affiliates." He said
Bill 50 will "upon
enactment, strip the names
and identities of other
charities amongst the 235
Ontario animal protection
charities registered with the
Canadian Revenue Agency."
The THS depends on the
OSPCA for inspectors in
animal abuse cases. Other
than the police, they are the
only ones licensed to carry
out investigations and lay
charges. There's rarely
disagreement when abuses
are found. But Trow accuses
the OSPCA leadership of
hiring private detectives to
check up on the THS,
including surreptitious
interviews of staff.
Largely unnoticed in Bill
50 is the revision of Section
10 in the old act that says
no society, association or
group "established after the
30th day of May, 1955,"
shall function as an animal
welfare or cruelty
prevention organization
"unless it is incorporated
and becomes affiliated"
with what then was the
Ontario Humane Society
and is now renamed the
Ontario Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (OSPCA).
Thus, animal welfare
bodies in business prior to
1955, seemed to escape
domination by the OSPCA,
which has been rent
asunder in recent years by
controversy, weak finances,
mass resignations, internal
feuds, etc.
Section 10 in the new act
is revised to say only groups
affiliated with the OSPCA
shall "use the name
'humane society' ... or 'spca'
or the equivalent of any of
those names ..."
Giving the OSPCA
control over the name
"humane society" (which it
has dropped and no longer
uses) has caused alarm
among some, who believe it
gives the OSPCA undue
Fighting like cats and dogsAnimal welfare groups at odds over who
may use “Humane Society”
PETER WORTHINGTON
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk10
Bill 50: Flawed
power to threaten and
intimidate, says Trow.
"Put bluntly, our name is
our greatest asset. If we had to
change our name after 121
years, it would be devastating.
"Last year we had an
enviable record for saving
animals - 75% of our dogs
and cats were adopted; our
euthanasia rate was 6 %.
The OSPCA won't tell how
many it adopts and how
many it kills." (The
euthanasia rate at the
Toronto Animal Services --
the pound, in other words -
- is roughly 50%, a far cry
from the THS' s 6%).
Those who think the
OSPCA would never move
against the THS might
consider what's happening
in Burlington. In 1974
Animal Aid was formed
after the Burlington
Humane Society (affiliated
with what is now the
OSPCA) quit in 1970 over a
dispute with the city's
animal shelter program to
sell animals for research.
Animal Aid took over
the role, and the name, of
humane society and ever
since has functioned as
such. In 1999, the Hamilton
SPCA decided to include
Burlington, to form a joint
SPCA, even though it has
no shelter in Burlington.
Local people still depend
on the present BHS.
The Hamilton-Burlington
SPCA has threatened to sue
the BHS, but until the new
OSPCA Act, there was
nothing to prevent
Burlington using the
"humane society" name.
Jolene Regan, president
of the all-volunteer BHS,
says the membership
approved, and "Burlington
Humane Society" became
their legal name, filed with
Industry Canada and
incorporated in 2006.
"We have good
working relations with the
city and with the city's
animal control shelter," says
Regan. "Hamilton's interest
in Burlington is because
we're a relatively affluent
community for fundraising."
Like Burlington, the
Mississauga Humane Society
is volunteer-based, and
unaffiliated with the OSPCA,
which has a reputation of
being dogmatic and
dysfunctional, a view shared
by the THS leadership.
Regan is concerned the
Hamilton SPCA has a "zero-
kill" policy -- it will not
put down any animal. This
means it will not accept
most sick or injured animals
but directs them to the city's
Animal Control Services,
which shares the same
building with the HSPCA.
It's cruel to keep some
animals alive, says Regan.
"You try to help
them all, but
some can't be
saved."
In other
words,
the HSPCA
accepts
healthy
animals for
adoption,
while sick or
unwanted
animals go to Animal
Control for execution.
Like the THS, Regan
worries that the wording on
the new SPCA Act gives the
OSPCA a weapon to
prevent the use of the name
"humane society."
A spokesman for
Bartolucci says the
controversial wording in
Bill 50 is mere
"modernizing of the
language and not intended
to change the existing
situation." The intent is to
have better control over
cruelty and abuse of
animals, and not to prevent
people caring for animals.
He didn't think banning
organizations from using
the word "humane society"
unless they were affiliated
with the OSPCA, posed a
danger to, say, the
Mississauga and Burlington
humane societies, which are
independent (as are the
Marathon, Collingwood
and Picton humane
societies). Or Toronto,
which is affiliated but
which the OSPCA envies
and resents.
If the ministry believes
this, it doesn't understand
the issue.
To avoid a snakepit of
future controversy, before
the next reading of Bill 50,
the words "humane society"
should be removed from
the sentence that says the
OSPCA has sole disposition
on who can use that name.
It's ludicrous, when one
thinks about it. Both the
OSPCA and Hamilton have
abandoned the "humane
society" identification for
themselves, but want to
prevent any except those
affiliated with them from
using it.
Bartolucci is to be
commended for updating
the act, but he should
familiarize himself with the
OSPCA's turmoiled history,
and that in the past it has
proved unreliable in dealing
judiciously with power.
Bill 50: Flawed
Peter Kormos NDP Justice Critic:
“Why would this Government want
to effectively shut down The
Toronto Humane Society with its
century-plus history of looking out
for the welfare of animals?” “New
Democrats are being very clear that
they will not support section 6.
We stand with Tim Trow, The
Toronto Humane Society, and other humane societies
that are not associated with OSPCA.” - Hansard, May 6, 2008
The NDP’s Cheri DiNovo::
“It means that a venerable institution
of over 100 years like The Toronto
Humane Society would not be able
to use the word “humane” anymore,
as well as 235 other charities that
look after and protect our animals. I
don’t understand why this section
[section 6] is even in this bill. What
is the purpose of it? It needs to be stricken from the Bill, and
I’d like the Committee to look at that”. - Hansard, May 5, 2008
Monte Kwinter (Lib. MPP York Centre, former Minister
of Community Safety and Correctional Services):
"...the Toronto Humane Society
does its welfare-and does it very
well. I have nothing but praise for
them. They do a wonderful job
and are a wonderful facility..."
- Hansard, May 12, 2008
Comments from Queen’s ParkBill 50 went into debate on May 5, and cleared second reading on
May 27. Here are some selected quotes from a heated debate:
Online Donations Made Easy!Making an online donation
has never been easier, please visitwww.torontohumanesociety.com
The Progressive Conservatives’ Garfield Dunlop:
“Another major flaw in this Bill is the
inclusion of section 6. Humane
societies across Ontario believe that, if
enacted, - section 6 will strip them of
their names. As The Toronto Humane
Society says and that’s an institution
that’s over 120 years old – ‘It’s like
losing your name; it’s like losing your
identity’. Minister, will you stand today in this House and
commit to either removing or making major amendments to
section 6 of Bill 50?” - Hansard, May 7, 2008
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk12
Bill 50: Flawed
Dedicated to the
care and protection
of all animals.
A charitable
organization solely
funded by kind donors
and volunteers.
April 29, 2008
VIA FAX
The Hon. Rick Bartolucci Minister of Community Safety & Correctional Services Government of Ontario Queen’s Park, 25 Grosvenor Street, 18th Floor Toronto, Ontario M7A 1Y6
Lost & Found
Dear Minister Bartolucci: Adoption
Foster Re: An Open Letter to Ontarians Concerning
Kitten Nursery Bill 50 – Provincial Animal Welfare Act, 2008 Micro-chipping
We write to ask you to remove section 6 from Bill 50. Section 6 provides that community-built shelters that either don’t want to be affiliates of the Ontario SPCA, or shelters that the Ontario SPCA itself does not want as affiliates, will be stripped automatically of their names by the Legislature.
Spay/Neuter
Wildlife Rehabilitation
Cruelty Investigation
Humane Education Historically in Ontario, the many voices of the Province’s animal welfare movement have been its strength. If the result of Bill 50 is but one voice, Bill 50 will have stifled debate and diversity and will have weakened what has been built up in communities over generations.
Food Bank
Veterinary Care
Feral Cat Program
Mind Your Manners- Bill 50’s role for the Ontario SPCA appears to be one of insurmountable conflict of interest because the Ontario SPCA will become both regulator and fundraising competitor to its 32 affiliates.
Canine Program
In addition, Ontario’s animal welfare movement is wider than the Ontario SPCA or its affiliates. Bill 50 will instantly, upon enactment, strip the names and identities of other charities amongst the 235 Ontario animal protection charities registered with the Canada Revenue Agency.
Bill 50 provides for no decision-making process and no appeal to the courts. It provides no explanation as to why it is necessary for the Legislature to take away the identities of any charities.
Sanctions against holding out or infringing a corporate name already exist in Ontario law. In the case of The Toronto Humane Society, there can be no confusion because there is no similarity between “The Toronto Humane Society” and the “Ontario SPCA”.
11 River Street | Toronto, Ontario | M5A 4C2 | 416.392.2273 | Fax: 416.392.9978 w w w . t o r o n t o h u m a n e s o c i e t y . c o m
11 River Street | Toronto, Ontario | M5A 4C2 | 416.392.2273 | Fax: 416.392.9978 w w w . t o r o n t o h u m a n e s o c i e t y . c o m
Dedicated to the
care and protection
of all animals.
A charitable
organization solely
funded by kind donors
and volunteers.
The Toronto Humane Society is a well-known Ontario landmark, a hospital and a shelter, caring for both wild and domestic animals. We employ 150 care-givers, and, at any time, 500 volunteers provide recuperative or palliative care as foster parents, feed orphan kittens in the nursery, groom cats, or walk dogs.
We serve Province-wide, one-third of our clients coming to us from beyond our Torontoarea.
The Toronto Humane Society has grown and prospered since 1887 because of the generous support of financial contributors and members. We do not receive, and never have received, government funding or funding from the Ontario SPCA.
Lost & Found
Our name is how we have been identified for 121 years. It has been entrusted to us bysuccessive Provincial Governments andit represents the goodwill and trust of generations.
Adoption
Foster
Kitten Nursery
Our name is how we speak to supporters and donors, and it is how they identify us in their wills or in other giving. It is how volunteers and animal care-givers find us and it is how clients access our services - rescuing animals, re-uniting lost animals, saving injured wildlife, providing veterinary care, extending shelter and providing homes.
Micro-chipping
Spay/Neuter
Wildlife Rehabilitation
Cruelty Investigation Take away our name and identity and you jeopardize our ability to provide essential animal care to citizens when they are desperate and in need.
Humane Education
Food Bank
Veterinary Care Please remove section 6 from Bill 50. Feral Cat Program
Thank you. Mind Your Manners- Canine Program
Yours truly,
Tim Trow President
TT/ct
cc Office of the Integrity Commissioner – Lobbyist Reg. #OL0061-19990406122620
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 13
Bill 50: Flawed
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk14
On June 1, 2008, Julie Borenstein hosted a walk-a-thon
for the THS, pledging all proceeds to the Society.
Recently she visited the shelter to pass along nearly $2,000.
Based on the success of her inaugural event, Borenstein is
already planning how to make Walk a Dog’s Way, 2009
even more fruitful.
Thanks Julie!
Gifts
Paws for the CauseVolunteer walk-a-thonmajor success
It was community week over at the Royal Bank of Canada.
From June 8 through June 14, the folks at RBC are
finding ways to give back. And our neighbours in the Van
Horne plaza branch, in the same mall as our new North
York Adoption Center, decided to make the THS its charity
of choice during a fun day fundraiser on Thursday, June 12.
There was face painting, musical games, food sales, water
balloon fights and so much more. And all the proceeds
from the day go to the THS.
Thank You, neighbour!
RBC Fun DayWe’ve made new friends
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 15
Rescue
Rescue!A look at some of the calls for help answered
by The Toronto Humane Society annually
A neighbours cell phone call alerted agent Smith to a dog stuck in a window.
Agent Urlea and cats she rescued after being locked 3 days in an
apartment with no food or water.
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk16
Marginalia
THS earns major safety rating
In late February we underwent a major safety audit. We passed with flying colours. Because we know THS supporters
take safety as seriously as we do, we wanted to share the results.
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 17
Marginalia
Marlies put the “fun” in fundraiser
In a fun kind of fundraiser, the Toronto Marlies (the Leaf’s farm club) invited us to the Ricoh Centre on March 30
to share in the excitement (and cash). Our fundraisers fanned out around the building, generating several
hundred dollars in donations. And our Lead Investigator, Agent Tre Smith, did a Q&A which was beamed up onto
the scoreboard. Fun? Wow! Some days work just doesn’t feel like work at all.
Emergency Response, Amazing Result
In late March we received an emergency call to a high-rise apartment fire. While no
people were injured in the blaze, an adult cat perished in the smoke. But before
she died, she seems to have hustled her four kittens off to the back of a bedroom
closet, where we located them. Rushed to the THS emergency room, they were
immediately placed in an oxygen chamber. Thankfully, all four kittens survived,
unscathed. Pictured are agent Tre Smith and agent Manuela Urlea.
Marlies Day.
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk18
When you finish reading this issue of Animaltalk, will you please help the
animals one more time by filling out the membership form stapled here.
You may not be a member even though you are a donor. Under Society by-laws,
donors are not automatically members. Even though you may have sent in
financial support or even if you send in a cheque regularly, unless you have a
membership card you are not a member. (If you already have a membership card,
please ignore this request. You can be assured that your membership is in full
Membership
Join Up as a MemberSpecial Request from the Board of Directors
Membership Protocol
The primary reason for signing up as a member is that the animals need you.
They need the strength of numbers when The Toronto Humane Society speaks
up for the animals. We have spoken up against the seal hunt, the killing of
monkeys by the federal government in their shadowy testing lab in Winnipeg,
the Calgary Stampede, the whipping and other abuse of tourist carriage horses,
and the puny veterinary budget and shameful killing of animals in Toronto
municipal pounds.
Why Be a Member
The duties and responsibilities of members are both simple and vital.
Members need to read Animaltalk and visit the website from time to time to
keep informed of Society affairs. They need to weigh what is being achieved
and be prepared to question the Board of Directors to keep it on its toes.
Once a year, members need to step forward to elect the Board of Directors,
Duties and Responsibilities of Members
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 19
force and effect until the membership secretary writes to you to tell you it is time
for its renewal.)
Animaltalk is now on-line at www.torontohumanesociety.com For those who
keep in touch by reading Animaltalk on the website, you can alternatively sign up
to be a member there.
For information on membership, please feel free to call the membership secretary
at 416 392 2273, ext. 2117 at any time.
The other reason to become a member is to support other volunteers.
Many other charities can do their job with professional and paid staff
alone. But because there are so many animals needing care at the Society,
volunteers are part of the animals’ care network. We depend on foster
parents, dog walkers and kitten bottle feeders at the shelter every day of the
week. These good people need the strength of a broad community
membership behind them.
appoint auditors and approve the financial statements at the Annual
General Meeting.
Your Board of Directors respectfully asks you to assume the duties and
responsibilities of membership. Please become part of a vibrant Society
electorate for the animals sake.
Membership
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk20
Fields of GreenTHS dog parks spring to life
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 21
There’s something magical about rich green grass underfoot. EverySpring the dog park comes alive again, a small oasis tucked away in
the concrete jungle of downtown Toronto. And believe us, the dogs LOVEit. Watching them run, roll, wrestle and splash with total abandon makeseverything worthwhile.
Fields of Green
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk22
It's a dog's life – and deathANIMAL RIGHTS
Q I understand that thousands of
unwanted cats and dogs are killed
each year in Toronto's animal
shelters. How can that be ethically
acceptable in a civilized society?
A How can what be ethically
acceptable? That there are thousands
of unwanted cats and dogs in this city?
Or that they are killed?
Roughly 20,000 pets find their way to
the city's two main shelter systems.
Some are lost; some wild; some old
and sick. Most are unwanted. Their
odds of surviving the experience are
much, much better if they end up at
the Toronto Humane Society (a
charity) than at Toronto Animal
Services (your tax dollars at work).
The difference between the Humane
Society's euthanasia rate of less than 10
per cent, and the Animal Services rate
of roughly 50 per cent, lies in their
purpose and core values.
The Humane Society exists to care for
animals, pure and simple. Their
stated policy, which they defend
stridently, is to put down only
animals that are so sick or mean-
tempered that they could never be
adopted, appropriately, by anyone.
According to Lee Oliver, the Society's
Senior Communicator, THS would
"never" put an animal down simply
because of a lack of space. He claims
there's always room for one more, even
if it means crowding the people a bit.
Judging by the tone of voice he uses
when talking about this, Oliver is not a
man whose dog I would want to kick.
Toronto Animal Services exists to serve
human society, by enforcing the law,
picking up nuisance animals, and so
on. They, too, try to find homes for
unwanted animals.
But when kennel space runs out, an
assessment is done as to which animals
are least likely to be adoptable, and
they are culled from the pack. Some of
these are mortally sick; some are
vicious; most are simply redundant.
According to Eletta Purdy, manager of
TAS, 4,000 cats were put down in 2006
(about half of their total intake), and
more than 1,000 dogs.
The ethics? No one quarrels with putting
down animals too sick to live happily, or
too nasty to place safely. But putting
animals down simply because of space
constraints is another matter. Despite all
our whinging about how we love our
pets, animals in urban society are often
treated as commodities. They are
marketed as aggressively as plasma TVs,
overbred for specific traits, and shown
off like a new iPod. Have you noticed
how often PetSmart opens in the same
plazas as Future Shop? With the same
bright lights and flashy signs. And when
they become redundant, thousands of
dogs and cats are killed each year ...
much as we might discard an old TV.
That's not necessarily the fault of
Toronto Animal Services. They likely
provide the best care they can within
budget and other constraints. It's more
often the fault of careless or outright
cruel owners.
But given my advancing age and bad
temper, if my name were Fluffy and I
were lost I'd rather take my chances on
the Humane Society than on The Pound.
Send your questions directly to
Ken Gallinger at [email protected].
KEN GALLINGER
23Summer 2008
AnimaltalkSummer 2008
Animaltalk
The shelter
environment is not
ideal for any animal. But
for dogs it can be
particularly distressing.
It’s a noisy place,
unfamiliar, full of activity
and very much out of the
ordinary for dogs
especially when they first
arrive. Many of these dogs
have only lived with one
owner and winding up in
The Toronto Humane
Society shelter—though a
safe haven and much
better than the streets or
the city dog pounds—can
be very upsetting or even
depressing to them.
Before they come here
some dogs have been
strays for weeks or
months or longer and
gotten used to eating
garbage or survive on
other things that end up
giving them parasites,
diarrhea and skin
problems. And then there
is just plain old stress.
Some or all of these
things often result in dogs
that don’t have an
appetite. So we’ve begun
to make food more like
what they may have eaten
in their former homes. We
cook rice, ground meat,
some vegetables, egg and
some supplements
According to The
Toronto Humane Society’s
head veterinarian, Dr.
Steve Sheridan, “It’s a
pretty standard formula.”
But he happily admits it
does seem to do the trick.
Food, Glorious FoodNot your average dog’s breakfast
Health
Making HistoryFor the first time in 121 years, The Toronto Humane Society
open a satellite adoption centre
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk24
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 25
Making History
The Toronto Humane Society has
taken an historic step by opening its
first-ever satellite location. The Toronto
Humane Society Adoption Centre,
located in the Van Horne Plaza, on
Victoria Park Ave, just north of Sheppard,
is a storefront operation specializing in
adoptions. While we were excited by the
prospect of a new centre providing new
hope for the animals, we were blown away
by the way the public shared our vision:
More than 100 people showed up for the
ribbon cutting ceremony, where dignitaries MPP David Caplan (Don Valley East,
Minister of Health and Long-Term Care) and Shelley Carroll (City Councillor for Ward
33 and Budget Chief) helped THS President Tim Trow officially open the centre.
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk26
Making History
“For 121 years, the THS has been confined to one building,” THS President Tim Trow told thegathered Grand Opening crowd, “but we know that we serve many people and animals fromthe north-east end of the GTA. With this centre, we’re making it easier for people to open theirhomes to Toronto Humane Society animals.”
The main location, at 11 River St, still houses our main animal hospital, kitten nursery, fosteringoffice, and investigations department. And the bulk of THS adoption will still place in the downtownheadquarters (last year we found homes for 6,372 animals). But already 247 cats, mammals, birdsand rodents have found homes through the satellite centre, making it a powerful tool for findingbetter lives for Toronto’s animals.
And now, as the centre gains traction and is proving itself to be a success, keep an eye open forthe possibility of a THIRD THS location: Coming Soon – Adoptions West.
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 27
Making History
Shelley Carroll, City Councillor, Ward 33 and David Caplan,Don Valley East, Minister of Health and Long Term Care.
Like all great institutions, The TorontoHumane Society is a work in progress: a121-year-old work in progress. From it’sbeginnings on Bay St., through a longstretch on Wellesley St. and into the iconicRiver St. building, the THS has alwaysbeen grounded in one location at a time.But as the animal welfare movement hasevolved, so too has the THS.
Here’s a brief look at the evolutionof the places we’ve called home:
In December 1887, The Toronto HumaneSociety was founded by J. J. Kelso tocombat animal cruelty. The first location,from 1888 through 1912 was a smallcentre at 103 Bay St.
As the Society grew, we moved to 197McCaul St. until 1929.
Then came a 50 year stretch onWellesley St.
In 1979 the Society built the currentheadquarters at 11 River St.
In March, 2007, we opened a 6,000 sq ftsecond floor addition to the River Stbuilding, fondly dubbed the Cat Sky House.
April, 2008, the first ever satellite adoptioncentre opened, in the Van Horne Plaza,Victoria Park, just north of Sheppard
Mr & Mrs Ken McKinnon
Emily Dugan
Cosmo, Elmo & Taz
Roy-Rocky & Karl
David Zifkin & Sid Cerkes
Tom Atkinson
Ella Sorensen
Barb Patterson
The MacDonald's Family
Dr. Mark Spiegle & Staff
Carolyn Wohar
Jill & Tim Bourne
Erin Juravsky
Dr. Judith Bonkalo
Natalie Cader-Beutel
Jean McQuattie
…of clients
Isabel
Hannah & Ben Stafl
Margaret Forsey
Mr. Jeff Ray
Jonas Simpson
Casey
Daniel
Leah Holgate
Jack & Leone Callander
Skytronix Clients
Niko
Tim Najonen
Alesandra & Richard Biasi Zappas
Jeff Pangman
Jesse
Chester
Lucy Mirra, Larkell Doyle
Krista Laugaly
Jordan & Abby
Amanda & Ricky
Michelle Balke
Matthew Hudson
Nicholas
Sheldon Rajesky
Erin Juravsky
Wedding Donation for her guests
The Honourable Justice Gilles Renaud
Erin Juravsky
Kevin Covelli
Erin Juravsky
Ms. Deborah Devgan
Dr. Doug Mason
* Donations received December 1, 2007 until May 31, 2008
Tribute gifts are a thoughtful and meaningful way of expressing your good wishes orcommemorating an occasion. With a minimum donation of $80.00, The Toronto Humane Society
will print the name of the friend or family member you choose to honour. This is a great wayto simultaneously acknowledge a loved one and help the many animals in our care.
Call 416.392.2273 ext. 2171
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk28
Gifts of Love
In Honour of...
Buster Mac
Sandy Hicks
Frank Harvey Snow
Barbara Palmer
Mark Salter
Grey Kitty
Bonnie O'Donnell
Thor & Bert
Lucy Rohmer
Ceilidh (Kay-lee)
Charlotte Gervis
Russell Short
Frank M Schwieder
Hellen Merifield
Helen Kleinberg
Catherine Baillie
Jamie McGuiness
Harry Zweig
Elizabeth Bettridge
Sonia Janiec
Mrs. Janette Sharkey
Dr. Allen Graham
Jacqueline Martin
Helen Margaret &Kydd Merifield
Conrado Estrada
Kasper & Ted
Nellie Almeida
Eva Schweizer
Dorothy Sparkes
Janet Banaszuk
Mary Nadon
Morty
Dr. James Perkins
Josef Katz
Cinderella
Edna
Helen TurnerMaybury
Kayla
Gatnip Littles
Wilfred Shapiro &Arnold Zurin
Bullet
Mr. Juris GeorgeMitenbergs
Sonia Janiec
Monty
Mr. Peroff
Ruth Johnson
Copper, Shadow &Maisey
Chester & StitchesWhitmell, Anton Toth
Donna & AlanCansdale
Michael John Scott
Mr. Bill Ward
Crawford Noble
Audrey Pretlove
Bet Bronaugh
Dorothy Sparkes
Ronald Mitcher
Dodie Sanders
Cito
Anthony Wilson
Charles Weir, BarryHarvey
Dorothy Dexter
Hokey MacKay
Tasha
Elizabeth Bettridge,George Williamsua
Elizabeth AnnDonaldson, Kiki
Mr John Hutchinson,Mrs Sue Petty & Mr.
Tim Renfrew
John Gallaugher
Vivian Cantle
Mrs. Murella Jervis
Toby
Monkey & Malone
Kato
Ruth Johnson
Ann Le Ber
Lillian Dauphinee
Arliin Louise Caster
Roberta
Joan Lepard
Peter KenwrickChurch
Lucie TuchHomburger
Mark Salter
Mark Howard Salter
Joia
Walter Jones
Tasha
Helen Zepotoczny
Helen Zepotoczny
Victor Barrese
Lorraine Lemberk
Late Father andStepmother
Belinda Gionna
Ronald Mitchell
Jon Ball
Truce
Joyce Hutchings
Barry Mitchell
Juanita Saunderson
Frank W Schwieder
Findley
Robert Foley
Ted Philp
Maria Catandella
Eola Clark
Beverley Sutherland
Bailey
Dorothy ViolaSparkes
Sparky
Helen Davis
Marilyn Liscoumb
Ron Mitchell
* Donations received December 1, 2007 until May 31, 2008
Call 416.392.2273 ext. 2171
With a minimum gift of $80.00, The Toronto Humane Society will print the name ofthe one you wish to pay tribute to. This is a great way to simultaneously acknowledge a
loved one’s memory and help the many homeless animals in our care.
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 29
Gifts of Love
In Memory of...
A Surprise Around Every CornerThe THS is more than dogs and cats… way more
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk30
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 31
When most people talk about The Toronto Humane Society, the conversation
immediately gravitates to cats and dogs. But we’re also the first place to look if
you want to adopt an iguana, bond with a bearded dragon, cuddle a chinchilla, chat with
a cockatiel, or … well, you get the picture: the THS is teeming with fascinating small
mammals, exotic birds and reptiles. Here are some of the surprises in store when you
next visit either the main location or our satellite adoption centre in the Van Horne Plaza.
Small Domestics and Birds
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk32
Over our 121 year
history, The Toronto
Humane Society has saved
the lives of thousands of
animals in need of
emergency medical
treatment. We've seen
accidents, neglect and abuse
of every kind. And
sometimes even our best
efforts are not enough.
Other times we look on in
awe as animals that
appeared beyond help have
bounced back to live long,
fruitful lives.
In this space we’ll
profile these Medical
Miracles as they pass
through our emergency
room. As always, we salute
all those who help these
animals pull through.
Cassie
Cassie is an eight-year-old
Dalmatian cross. She was
rushed to The Toronto
Humane Society on Sunday,
March 30, after she was
found lying on the ground
unable to move. Cassie was
just hours from death, in
the advanced stages of
autoimmune hemolytic
anemia. That’s a disease
where the body destroys its
own red blood cells.
“She was in shock, she
was cold, weak and unable
to stand,” said Dr. Rob
Rock, one of The Toronto
Humane Society’s
veterinarians. He ordered
an emergency blood
transfusion. That is not an
easy thing to pull off in
Toronto on a Sunday
afternoon. After that Cassie
was placed on intravenous
fluids and medication to
combat her condition.
Cassie wasn’t out
of the woods, though.
In fact, consensus among
staff veterinarians was
that Cassie would die
that evening.
But no one consulted
Cassie on that. And Cassie
is a fighter!
She made it through the
night and by Monday she
was able to stand. By
Wednesday she was a new
dog, full of life, gaining
energy and ready for
normal walks. She’s a
sweetheart as well. “One of
the friendliest dogs I’ve ever
met,” said Toronto Humane
Society vet Karen Ward.
While Cassie’s prognosis
is still “guardedly
optimistic” it looks as
though this tough and
amazingly sweet dog is on
the road to a full recovery.
After three weeks in the
clinic, Cassie found
a Guardian Angel in
one of our volunteer dog
walkers, who decided
Cassie would be a lot
happier in her home than
in the clinic. The rest, as
they say, is history.
Tazzy
When Tazzy, an 8-year-old
terrier cross came to the
THS, he was literally
starving to death. He had
an severe infection in his
tongue, which left him
unable to eat solid food
(and also prone to
snapping and growling
because of the extreme
pain). The prognosis
was poor.
After several tests, and
an aggressive run of
antibiotics, the THS vets
determined that part of the
tongue had to be
amputated. Once the
damaged portion of tongue
was removed, Tazzy
quickly showed an interest
in soft food. Daily hand-
feeding of a homemade
diet of rice and pureed
meat helped Tazzy regain
his strength and appetite.
Before long he began
eating from his own bowl,
and happily wolfed down
chewy treats.
With the pain of
infection gone, Tazzy
became a happy, social
fella, and that leads us to
the final part of this
miracle: in early April
Tazzy found a new, forever
family and has taken up
residence as the sweet and
spoiled dog he always
deserved to be.
Health
Medical MiraclesCassie & Tazzy
CASSIE TAZZY
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 33
Ahead this spring, the
newly renovated
Wildlife Centre has filled
up with injured birds,
orphaned raccoons and a
menagerie of animals
including wild bunnies,
opossums, groundhogs,
swans and just about any
wild urban animal you can
imagine. And every one of
these animals has a story:
One particularly uplifting
wildlife case occurred in
late March, when we
responded to an emergency
call after a red-tailed hawk
crashed into a window on
the 23rd floor of a
downtown high-rise and
plummeted to the ground.
The young hawk (vets think
he’s about one year old)
managed to limp away
from the fall with only a
broken clavicle. He’s
recuperating in our clinic,
and while our vets give him
a 50/50 chance of flying
again, he is healing quickly.
Another occurred a few
days later, when we
responded to an urgent call
on Toronto’s waterfront. A
mute swan was tangled in
fishing line and had a
barbed fishhook stuck in its
foot. Once in the shelter,
our vets removed the hook
and untangled the line. A
few hours later the swan
was released where it was
found and swam off to join
its colony.
This place is for the birds!and raccoons… and squirrels… and opossums…
Wildlife
Summer 2008AnimaltalkSummer 2008Animaltalk34
Igot my father a dog for
Christmas because I
desperately needed help.
It was almost a decade
ago. My parents and I were
suffering terribly as a result
of an estrangement from
my only sibling and his
family and I just couldn’t
handle Christmas alone.
I had only been dating
my Rob for a few months
and he wasn’t yet a regular
fixture at holidays. No
matter how hard I tried,
and believe me I tried, I
wasn’t big enough or loud
enough or entertaining
enough to fill the hole they
left. I just couldn’t take up
enough space.
I needed a dog.
My parents, my dad
especially, have always
adored dogs. Two mutts
had the run of the house
throughout my childhood
and the younger had finally
died at 18 years of age the
previous summer.
Mom felt sure Dad was
ready for another and gave
her blessing for me to pick
one out at The Toronto
Humane Society and
surprise him with it at
Christmas. Get a smaller
dog, she advised.
Something sweet and low-
maintenance.
And that’s what I
intended, I swear.
But we can’t help who or
what we fall in love with.
A pit bull-German
shepherd-doberman
mix (we think), he had
been living at the shelter
for more than three
months. There was a letter
taped to his cage, written
as if by him, begging
someone to give him a
chance. I gathered from
the shelter staff that his
days were numbered.
I had to have him.
I took him home to my
little downtown house and
while he wildly raced
around and around I
called my mom to advise
her that I found a dog that
was a little different from
what we discussed, but
nonetheless, perfect.
And he was perfect, in
his way. From the moment
a few days later when I
dropped him onto my
blindfolded Dad’s lap and
shouted Merry Christmas!,
he was a perfect diversion
from the sadness that back
then hung like a heavy
cloud in my parent’s house.
Hercules became his
name and he was
incorrigible. He chewed
everything he could find.
He climbed the kitchen
table and gobbled bread
baskets and pounds of
butter. He ate a whole raw
chicken my mother was
prepping and threw it up an
hour later. He was so
excitable that a playful tone
of voice would send him
bouncing on all four legs,
three or feet into the air. He
was so hyper that my father
was often forced to wrestle
him to the ground, hold
him there and coo softly in
his ear, imploring him to
relax and calm down.
Hercules did calm down
as time went on. He
became intimately attached
to my father. He insisted on
sitting on his lap,
Gifted
Gifted!How one sweet shelter dog saved my family
Summer 2008Animaltalk
Summer 2008Animaltalk 35
burrowing into chest and
tucking his head under his
chin and to this day he
wails and cries like a baby
when left alone. Dad takes
him everywhere; flying him
into his fishing camp and
letting him ride shotgun in
his pick-up truck on
morning coffee runs when
he is treated to a donut
hole daily.
Everywhere they go
people stop them. “What
kind of dog is that?” they
say. “That’s the weirdest
looking dog I’ve ever seen.”
And Dad puts his
hands over Herc’s ears.
“Don’t listen to them
Hercie,” he says. “You’re
a fine-looking dog.”
It seems silly to make
some kind of dramatic
proclamation or put a
cheesy movie-of-the-week
title to this story, a la The
Dog Who Saved My Family!
But in a lot of ways I
think he did.
Hercules made us laugh
and gave us something to
talk about that Christmas
and we needed that. In the
days that followed he made
my parents house a noisy
place to be, a busy place, to
be and they needed that
even more.
He gave my parents
something to focus on
during a very dark period of
their life. He was so grateful
for their love, so overjoyed
to be in their presence, so
friendly and accepting of
everything and everyone in
their world that it was
impossible not to be
infected by his happiness.
And when the rift with
my brother and his children
began to mend Hercules
and his boundless energy
was there to break the ice
and relieve the tension: no
one could refuse him a
smile, no one was unmoved
by his enthusiasm.
Today my parents house,
being on the lake, is a
gathering place for my family
and friends and my brother
and his children and their
friends. Summers especially
are a whirlwind of flying and
boating and barbecues and
laughter and fun.
Hercules is there too of
course. Old and grey and
grizzled now, he’ll join in
the fun if asked, but mainly
sticks close to my father’s
side. And in my typical,
cheesy, movie-of-the-week
way I like to think of both
of them as the glue that
continues to keep our home
and our family together.
This story was originally
published at
www.donmillsdiva.blogspot
.com where the author
regularly writes about
family life.
- Kelly
Gifted