Dear sir.
I wish you had not fallen onto the "OSPCA is a bunch of idiots" bandwagon. Your completely inaccurate take on the subject has seriously undermined the cause of the OSPCA. I have extensive animal science knowledge, experience and common sense. I was very saddened by the media's coverage of this tragic event, which I've known about since February.
Please, know what you are talking about, before you call the kind people of the OSPCA "murderers".
This is sounding entirely like a Toronto Humane Society "get even with the OSPCA" ploy.
I personally spoke to Tim Trow/THS, back when Bandit was first "saved from euthanasia". I stopped my support for the THS that day. Tim was obviously not mentally stable. He allowed that dangerous dog to attack and injure more people and animals, before the dog was finally, mercifully humanely euthanized.
The OSPCA Board, while certainly not perfect, has their hearts set firmly upon a very correct path. The THS lost that path, when Tim took over.
I have worked in shelters, I know my animals, I know my diseases. This disease is nothing like athlete's foot in humans. To report this is irresponsible. People already have very limited scientific knowledge. Even my husband believed that it was/is easy to treat. It is, if you are a human, if you are not stressed, if you are not old, if you are not in a shelter. Fungus are acquiring drug resistances, too, you know.
Do you truly believe a aged, stressed, homeless cat will enjoy 1) being in a shelter, as lovely as the OSPCA is. 2) Given baths three times a day, and not allowed to groom, for two weeks?
That is inhumane to an older cat, especially when the treatment fails repeatedly.
Gentle, Humane Death can be kinder to these animals, John. It is a sad fact. There are far too many of them in shelters. My husband has the completely misguided impression of "shelters being a safe haven for animals". I've worked in animal shelters. They are not safe. It is not a haven. It is a warehouse for the stressed and neglected. Disease is a terrible problem for shelters, always. That is not their fault. It is the fault of the previous owner of the animal, so carelessly discarded/neglected.
I was at the OSPCA several times this past half year. Every single time, it was clean, it smelled clean. Those animals are well-cared for. I've been there, I've seen it. I cannot say the same for the THS. I was there. It was very bad.
Ringworm can be carried by an animal with no symptoms shown. These are known as asymptomatic carriers. How can the OSPCA guard against this? Impossible. We are not dealing with happy family pets, in these cases. Animals with any of these issues take lots of time. The OSPCA has many jobs. Looking after our messes is one of them.
We rent a property out in the country, we always know when the shelters are full. The "dropped off by the side of the road" animals increase.. Over-Population makes these animals sick. Not the OSPCA.
My husband admires you. Your inflammatory rhetoric made for a very unhappy household for me, that evening. Of course, that's not your fault. But as I am the sole income earner in this family, it was quite difficult to come home to such anger at my disagreement of your stance. John Tory thinks so! He MUST be right. I don't believe "veterinarian" is one of your accomplishments, John. Correct me if I'm wrong.
(eta My husband went to school with John Tory. My husband is a ruefully, regretfully retired farmer. His ire with the current state of our country is pretty severe, at the best of times. It was difficult to disagree with him, but I did. Husband later apologized, as he realized what I was saying. The power of the media, the respect my husband has for JT, the power of good rhetoric, ("murderers!"), caused husband to leap onto that bandwagon, too quickly, as many others did.)
I'm not saying the OSPCA is perfect, at all. But as a very very picky person, I have found that shelter to be ship-shape. My nose knows, you know.
It was doubly saddening to hear that Bill Carroll was allowed to speak about the OSPCA. He once said on his morning show "I'd save my wedding ring, and leave the dog, if my house was on fire".
I called him immediately to tell him how wrong that was. And I stopped listening to him, that day.
Thank you.
July 15, 2011
ETA.
Lots has changed since that letter was sent, as some of you know. I no longer support the OSPCA. I support the idea of an agency with the OSPCA's mandate. I hope, someday, they will actually follow that mandate. The Lesage-Meek report brought out many serious deficiencies in the uppermost management of the OSPCA. It is time that people with animal knowledge were in charge there.
I have known for many years that animal "shelters" are death-row for most animals. I am glad that the OSPCA ringworm debacle brought that simple truth into the light. Animals die in these places, every single day. Do not blame anyone. The blame lies with us all.
Do not buy an animal from a pet-store. Do not buy an animal on impulse, because a puppy/kitten is sooo cute. When you acquire any living creature, you owe that creature the best care you can manage. Please, if you cannot do that, don't get ANY animal.
Stick to plants.
23 comments:
Great letter GL. That's the problem in a nutshell, (or is it the half educated nutcase) people who attacks without understanding the entire issue. For instance, the news services in the US repeat the fallacy that the Yellowstone bison that carry brucellosis are not a threat to other wildlife or humans. Look up Undulant Fever. It's one nasty zoonotic disease.
Ringworm can be transmitted to humans, especially children and the elderly, and can be very difficult to treat. I remember, years ago, the standard treatment for ringworm of the scalp was to shave the poor kid's head.
Well said GL, I hope he reads it and gets the wake up call it should be ! I would love to see that letter printed in one of the tapers covering this sad situation
Good job GL.
It always amazes me to hear incorrect BS spewed by the media. Really, how hard is it to look that sort of thing up?
I've never had an animal with ringworm, but did go to school with some kids that got it and it took months and months for it to clear up and I remember them saying it was painful as well.
Hopefully your letter gets a response.
RIngworm is highly contagious, as you know GL. Not only is it a PIA to treat, it is pretty uncomfortable to be infected with. Thanks for taking this on.
This is a good letter...what was the genesis? Did John Tory make a comment on his radio show?
I hate it when public people flip their lips about things they know nothing about. Those listening think those talking are experts just because they are public. Sometimes it causes a really big mess.
Good for you taking it on!
Thanks for all this GL, this has been a learning curve for me on ringworm which I guess I never considered "that big of a deal" til I read your stuff.
I grew up in dairy 4-H. The dairy cows were NOTORIOUS as getting ringworm as yearlings (usually right before the county fair...). I don't think any escaped. But as I recall, it did go away with a treatment of pick off the scab, iodine, 2x a day, I think. And I've had it a few times, but always went away pretty fast with a treatment of topical antifungal. Never thought about it in a rescue situation - yikes!
PF, My experience with ringworm in cattle and horse is simmilar to yours , in that it happens, you treat it ( we use Crest toothpaste)and life goes on , but thinking about it , it goes through a herd very quicky if you cannot or do not isolate the infected ones , a rescue situation must be a management trainwreck!
Good letter GL!
I too hate how the media spews their uneducated rambling and everyone thinks it is fact. Never a mention or correction to the story aired on __/__/__ date. Never an apolgy to the parties involved, no checking facts, just get the story out there and draw the viewers interest.
If donations drop off, would it be likely to see a lawsuit filed from the OSPCA against the reporters, media and press for not airing truth in journalism? A few of those and maybe things would change.
This time it may have been ringworm, but would they have caught such flack, had it been something more dramatic- West Nile, swine flu or any of the other recent media 'biggies' come to mind?
No, I'd say the entire shermozzle was instigated by both disgruntled, over-zealous volunteers, and the same types from THS. There are always volunteers that cannot handle losing any of the animals they love. I get that, I do..
The OSPCA did indeed commit a communications mega-gaffe.
That I will give the media. However, who started the shriek, and then kept adding fuel to the flame?
What a waste of donation dollars that would be, having to litigate a lawsuit!
Gah.
See, I know this isn't popular opinion. I would far rather have a "kill" shelter, than a "no-kill".
No-Kill's will always burst at the seams before long, if they never euth even the animals that would appreciate it.
Or the Bandits of the world...
No-Kill then becomes the debacle that was the THS.
I jumped on the wrong band-wagon concerning Breed Specific Legislation.
I won't make the same mistake this time.
Off-topic, new FEI Guidelines for Stewards re: Hyperflexion.. PDF alert!
FEI's New Rules, PDF alert!
Let's digress for a moment...you said, "I jumped on the wrong band-wagon concerning Breed Specific Legislation.
I won't make the same mistake this time."
Care to clarify?
I went for it. I wanted it. I was wrong. Look what happened in Brampton. Rambo & Brittany, "stalked" by AC officers, for how they looked. Not their deeds. How they looked.
Boxer/mastiff? mixes, fcs.
Appalling.
My dogs could ostensibly look like the dreaded pit. Fatten 'em up, bingo, I have a dangerous dog, that looks like a pit.
Who IS dreadful, when his owner is.
My dogs look like dobes, or rotties, or shepherds or pits. I can never ever go to Brampton, I guess. Plus they are black/tan. Triple whammy.
I went with BSL. Why? I still hated the darned things. I couldn't forgive them their history with me.
The memory of the pit-rott cross that jumped his back fence, and ripped my sister's cat to shreds, in front of my 4 year old nephew, has burned for a long time.
But it was, and will always be, an owner issue. That dog was tied, 23.75/24.
Many own dogs, who should not. No matter the breed.
Pits need very special owners. Heck, ALL dogs, to be safe, really.
But legislating them out was wrong.
I supported that. Called old Michael (whoopsie) Bryant and supported it.
I was wrong.
Freely admit it.
Thank you.
I've been thinking about that for a long time now.
Same as this issue.
With owners like that (points north again)
(shivers).
Some animals are just better off.
Like your neighbour's dog, that barks 23.75/7. What life is that for him? Why is THAT legal?
To The Animals, and doing the best we can.
For Them.
Crabby Old pontificating Broad out.
oh BTW, since a commenter bring it up: brucellosis is indeed a serious disease. But it cannot be transmitted by males (it is transmitted through aborted fetuses). Nonetheless, male YNP bison are killed. Elk are carriers of brucellosis. They are NOT killed to control the disease.
The killing of YNP bison has very very little to do with disease.
As indeed, the killing of the animals at OSPCA probably has little to do with disease.
If all shelters, including OSPCA are such horrible brutish places as you describe, then indeed there is a larger problem that also has little to do with disease.
Um. sigh.
People that bring the animals into the shelters are the brutes. No, of course not in all cases.
Man, I have to start taking some writing lessons again.
I've described the OSPCA before. It is not..
Never Mind.
I'm off to work for my living..
"killing of the animals at OSPCA probably has little to do with disease."
yeah, they must just enjoy doing it.
:(
zoooom. right over the head..
It might be prudent for the people who are crying foul to remember that the OSPCA does not exist for population control. Rather they are there to protect and house the animals that have been abused ,neglected, or dumped by people who took them into their lives and then for very often reasons that range from selfishness ( " didn't know X would be so much work/take so much time ") Laziness , "who knew you have to walk/feed / clean up after "or foolisheness, at best . those are the least ominous reasons . The OSPCA/AC organisations, are in fact in place to clean up after the real rocket scientests(insert eye roll) who failed to care for the animals they took on .
Emily, sorry to break it to ya, but here's the CDC's take on it...
How is brucellosis transmitted to humans, and who is likely to become infected?
Humans are generally infected in one of three ways: eating or drinking something that is contaminated with Brucella, breathing in the organism (inhalation), or having the bacteria enter the body through skin wounds. The most common way to be infected is by eating or drinking contaminated milk products. When sheep, goats, cows, or camels are infected, their milk is contaminated with the bacteria. If the milk is not pasteurized, these bacteria can be transmitted to persons who drink the milk or eat cheeses made it. Inhalation of Brucella organisms is not a common route of infection, but it can be a significant hazard for people in certain occupations, such as those working in laboratories where the organism is cultured. Inhalation is often responsible for a significant percentage of cases in abattoir employees. Contamination of skin wounds may be a problem for persons working in slaughterhouses or meat packing plants or for veterinarians. Hunters may be infected through skin wounds or by accidentally ingesting the bacteria after cleaning deer, elk, moose, or wild pigs that they have killed.
GoLightly, thank you for clarifying your position on BSL and being willing to change it when you learned the truth. Much appreciated! :-).
I realize I'm running off topic here, but if you'd like to support a bill to remove the breed-specific portion from the Ontario Dog Owners' Liability please contact Cheri DiNovo, MPP for Parkdale-High Park, to offer your support. Her website is http://www.cheridinovo.ca/.
I really can't address the OSPCA issue on a scientific basis, because I don't have any scientific training. Honestly, I'm not as appalled by humane euthanasia as I am by cruelty. I also wonder if any of the protestors will chip in to a fund to help the animal care workers who are now out of jobs.
SM said "being willing to change it when you learned the truth."
I think I knew that truth all along. I felt a little queasy about it, truthfully, when it was all happening. I hadn't even really thought about it, I just viscerally reacted to it. yeah, NUKE that pitty-cross!
But then I ran into a pit at Pet Smart, when I first was socializing puppy Blaze. Sweet, sweet dog, wonderful owner. My misgivings about my stance only built from there:(
Plus I finally discovered first hand the prejudice towards a black dog.
wow.
I am afraid of untrained dogs and their oblivious people.
My heart ruled my brain, instead of my head, in that BSL case. I shoulda known better. Danged mentalpause.
Great point, FV, husband was saying the same thing. The OSPCA should NOT be a population control warehouse. We must educate the kids. They don't have to see puppies/kittens/whatever born, to understand the miracle of life..
All they learn, is that you can throw that life away...
Off to click in the right direction.
Sorry, I'm veering wildly off thread here but this enrages me..
Toronto Humane Society has condemned hundreds of kittens to die by closing its kitten feeding program.
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