My Feline Friends

Canada’s Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty stopped by the Durham Humane Society yesterday with a Christmas gift, a cheque for $600,000. The funds will be used to help rebuild their facility which was destroyed by a fire that claimed the lives of 140 cats, 3 dogs, and 20 smaller animals, one year ago.

The Durham Humane Society serves the whole Durham region, which consists of two cities, Pickering and Oshawa, two towns, as well as several rural townships. It is a large area, measuring 2,523 square kilometers (974 square miles) and is home to over 550,000 humans.

It didn’t hurt the cause that Durham just happens to be the home riding of the Finance Minister, and the Prime Minister is a cat lover and avid supporter of animal shelters. That works out to be a winning combination for our feline friends in the Durham region. The money will come from the country’s Infastructure Stimulus Fund. I don’t think there will be too many complaints about this allocation of funds. Take a look at my previous posting, Government Cats, for more insight into this matter.

Have a Joyful and Peaceful Christmas, everyone, human and cat.

In my previous post I’m not trying to downplay the atrocities that have been uncovered at the Toronto Humane Society. It’s just that I’ve had a personal experience with them about a year ago, so the whole thing has been difficult to process. To top it off, while searching for articles, I came across some surprising information that touched me in a personal way. I’m not sure quite how to take it, or if I even believe it myself. In time I will share my experience. Thanks for your patience. In the meantime, I will move on to other topics.

The THS publishes statistics of a 7% euthanasia rate, which looks good on paper, and I’m sure is very good for donations, but what does it mean for quality of care? Allowing sick animals to die a natural death has several repercussions.

• If the dying animal has a contagious disease, it increases the risk of it spreading to the healthy animals.
• It contributes to overcrowding which becomes an overall factor in disease containment, understaffing, and adoption waiting times.
• Space, a valuable commodity, could be better used to house animals with a good prognosis for recovery.
• It demoralizes the staff who care for the suffering animal and eventually discover it dead in the cage.
• It prolongs the animal’s suffering, which then adds loneliness and depression to its list of ailments. The animal may die alone, gasping for breath. Pet owners will often decide to have their animal “put down” when recovery is no longer a possibility. It is a humane way to allow a pet to end its life peacefully and in the presence of human comfort.

These poor suffering creatures that have lost the battle to live should not be in the same category as unadoptable. If fact, one of the unique features of the THS is their ability to find homes for hard-to-adopt animals. These are animals that have beat the odds, in overcoming a non-contagious disease, injury or disability. They are the kind of animals with a strong will to live who respond to human touch and encouragement. They actually inspire and contribute to positive moral among the THS caregivers.

However, it is difficult to find forever homes for these animals due to their special needs. Amazingly, the THS has been able to adopt out many of these animals. That says a lot about the staff and the type of people who donate their time and money to the THS.

It is people like this who approached the OSPCA requesting an investigation, because even though they participated in the good work that was being done, they witnessed too many things that just weren’t right. They could no longer keep silent, but had to speak out on behalf of the animals.

I believe that the real issue here is not just euthanasia, but accountability. The accountability of a president who micromanages daily operations, misuses the donors money to pay for numerous petty litigations, engages in shady practices with regards to board elections, and alienates himself and the society from all other animal welfare agencies. It is about the accountability of the managers and directors who support him in these practices. It is about a refusal to acknowledge that his policies are contributing to needless suffering to the animals that he is supposed to be protecting.

There is an old adage, don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. In this case, one must separate the THS from the management. Despite the policies and practices of Mr. Trow, animals are being saved and adopted. Just think what could be accomplished through a management which truly reflects the vision and purpose of what the humane society should be all about. The THS could be a great place which reflects the generosity and caring of the people of Toronto.

While preparing for my November edition of “Cats In The News” I did not find much news that was noteworthy. That is, until November 26, when 5 members of the senior management of the Toronto Humane Society were arrested for animal cruelty, after an Ontario SPCA investigation spanning several months.

Toronto Humane Society History

Before continuing this report, I feel that some background on the society is in order. The Toronto Humane Society has a history spanning 122 years, making it a landmark institution in “Toronto the Good”. In 1887, a young journalist and social crusader, J.J. Kelso wrote an article in the local newspaper, outlining the plight of children who worked on the streets. Shortly after this he took up the cause of the mistreatment of workhorses which pulled wagons and streetcars in the city of Toronto. The public responded favorably toward both these causes, thus the Toronto Humane Society was created. In 1891 the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto was formed, which left the THS to focus solely on animals.

THS Building circa 1920

What They Do

On their website, the THS statistics show that they take in an average of 11,000 animals each year. This number includes wildlife and birds, as well as lost, abandoned and owner surrendered domestic pets. A hospital facility next to the shelter in the River St. location provides treatment for sick and injured animals. This whole arrangement being open 24 hours, 7 days a week, requires extensive resources to operate, as one can well imagine. In fact, the THS functions almost solely on donations, which add up to approximately $10 million annually. In addition to the 80 staff members, there are hundreds of volunteers that work around the clock. As well as the River St. site, the THS operates a satellite location in a storefront, which functions as a cat adoption centre, in the northeast part of the city.

What Went Wrong?

Politics may not be my area of expertise, but it would seem that an organization with such a broad base of public support would have more flexibility in its decision-making, as it is not tethered to the three levels of government for funding. On the other hand, that should make them more accountable to the members and donors, who give support with time and money.

There seems to be a lot of dissatisfaction with the way the THS has been operating over the past few years, particularly with the management. The Toronto Star addressed this issue back in 2006, and the Globe and Mail ran a 3-part series in the spring of 2009. A group was formed, calling themselves the Association for the Reform of the Toronto Humane Society, (or ART). The members of ART are former and present volunteers, former staff and THS members. Their website address is: http://www.reformths.com/index.html

Another group that was formed is called the Humane Society Protest Group. Their blog states their purpose as follows: “We are a group of people that are trying to change policies and procedures at the Toronto Humane Society that leave animals neglected and dying in their cages.” A lot of links and information is available on their website at: http://helpths.wordpress.com/

The issue that comes to the forefront of the arrests seems to surround the no-kill policy of the THS, which tends to result in sick animals being left in cages to die, in lieu of euthanasia. The E-word is certainly a hot button, fraught with much debate and interpretations among animal activists. It is a pendulum which poses ethical and moral concerns, when swung too far in either direction.

However, the problems which plague the THS seem to run deeper than the euthanasia issue. Whatever is at the root of the dysfunction, one thing is for sure. Animal issues are very emotional. The bond between human and animal can be very special, and an innocent suffering creature is able to arouse human compassion in a way that few other things can.