T[oronto] H[umane] S[ociety] leaders face additional animal UPDATE #3 New Directors
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1583631/
THS leaders face additional animal-cruelty charges
Kate Hammer
Globe and Mail Update Published on Thursday, May. 27, 2010 8:18PM EDT Last updated on Thursday, May. 27, 2010 11:09PM EDT
The leadership of the Toronto Humane Society is facing dozens more animal cruelty charges days before a court-monitored election already dogged by controversy is scheduled to take place.
The charges, 38 in total, stem from the alleged condition of the animals found inside the shelter last fall, when the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took control of the facility, arrested five senior managers and charged them with criminal animal cruelty.
Those facing a new set of charges include former THS president Tim Trow, current president Bob Hambley and all but one of the current members of the board of directors. The new counts of animal cruelty pertain largely to cats allegedly found in distress by the OSPCA.
“Charges being laid during a contested election have a brackish odour,” said Frank Addario, a lawyer for the charged board members. “Particularly when they are legally dubious and based on information that is stale.”
The OSPCA said the charges were delayed because the THS impeded access to relevant documents.
“The OSPCA has no interest in the election other than insisting that it is a fair and transparent process,” said Brian Shiller, a lawyer for the society. “Any suggestion to the contrary is outrageous and without foundation.”
According to court documents, one of the animals found in distress last November was Shaninya, a cat who was slightly overweight but otherwise healthy when she was admitted to the shelter in April, 2009. When an OSPCA veterinarian examined her shortly after the raid, she was allegedly emaciated, jaundiced, dehydrated, losing hair and had to be euthanized.
“Some animals were never seen by veterinarians and left to die. Others had been seen and were assigned treatments, but were never treated,” said Christopher Avery, a lawyer for the OSPCA.
One of the 15 members of the board, Alvin Tweten, avoided charges because “it appears he took steps to prevent the ongoing distress of the animals at the THS,” Mr. Avery said.
Following the OSPCA’s arrests, the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee and the Ministry of Natural Resources, Mr. Trow’s former employer, launched their own probes. The public guardian sat in on an application to have the board of directors removed, which culminated in April when the THS leadership put forward a court-approved plan to “press the reset button” by closing the shelter, retraining staff and stepping down. That cleared the way for the election of new leadership on May 31.
Two slates of candidates stepped forward: one composed of former staff, volunteers and animal welfare advocates who partnered with the OSPCA to have the old leadership thrown out, and a second slate of high-profile politicians and executives, some of whom have ties to the current board.
The second slate, known as the Save the THS slate, received a wrist slap from the court-appointed election monitor, former judge Sydney Robins, this month when he found that one of its candidates had improperly used a membership e-mail list she’d obtained last year through her public relations firm, Sussex Strategy Group, whose services were sought by the current board.
A six-month investigation by the OSPCA led to the November arrests of four senior managers and Mr. Trow on criminal charges of animal cruelty, and a handful of non-criminal animal-cruelty charges against the charity’s board of directors.
New humane society keepers in charge
http://www.torontosun.com/news/toron.../14213226.html
New humane society keepers in charge
By JENNY YUEN, Toronto Sun
Last Updated: June 1, 2010 12:49pm
http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_r...g&size=248x186
The new executive of the Toronto Humane Society has taken control and held a press conference outside the closed shelter Tuesday. From left to right, Marcie Laking, vice president; Michael Downey, president and Ian Wintrip, treasurer. (JENNY YUEN/Toronto Sun)
The new president of Toronto Humane Society says there will be more accountability in animal welfare at the shelter moving forward.
While the doors of the THS remains closed indefinitely, president Michael Downey told reporters outside the shelter's River St. location Tuesday that it is his No. 1 priority.
"First priority is to do the due diligence so we can open this great institution and the second is how fast we can implement our platform moving forward," he said. "Raising funds will be an important objective."
The 15 positions of the board of directors went to members of the Faces of Change team, a group who sought to reform the THS. Part of its platform is a strong focus on quality of life for animals and more accountability in financial matters.
The executives were announced Tuesday — United Way campaign chairman Linda MacKinnon is now the Humane Society's chairman; animal shelter volunteer Marcie Laking is the new vice-president and chartered accountant Ian Wintrip is the society's new treasurer.
"The great potential (for the THS) is to have the resources available so we're looking after animals in the right way to give them the biggest chances to be adopted," said Downey, 52, who is also the president of Tennis Canada and Molson's Ontario/Western Canada region. "I may be the president and CEO of Tennis Canada, but I've always had a love of animals. My father taught me that. When I was elected, my father who passed away 30 years ago would be very proud of his son because I want to give back to this institution."
Most of the society's old board were hit with animal cruelty charges. The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) filed 38 charges last Thursday against 14 former directors. The latest charges allege 38 animals were found to be in distress when the OSPCA executed its search warrant on the THS on Nov. 26, 2009.
Downey said they will continue to work with the OSPCA.
"The OSPCA is a regulatory body, we obviously have to work with them in that regard, but the Toronto Humane Society is an independent institution. It will stay as independent institution," he said.
While Downey didn't dig into the board's platform, he said that it has a strong euthanization policy.
"It says we want to give every animal the chance to live and it's a last resort not to have that — and that's a very important part of our platform," he said.
