No Intake

This is another area where I found the vacillation unmistakable and irritating. While offering the “carrot” that perhaps within the week or so they will be considering open to surrenders again, the OSPCA clearly delineated an untenable situation.

Intakes are subject to the following provisos:

1. Staffing to Animal ratios have to meet minimal standards, but OH LOOK, the THS has and continues to lay off staff! Catch 22!! Adequate staff are needed to take care of the animals but BECAUSE there are NO animals, because finances are suffering due to the FLOOD of bad press, no new memberships (the current Board’s bad in that respect!), no adoptions, etc, there is no income being generated (or minimal income). So how are they supposed to hire staff when they don’t have the animals?
2. NO Strays – now THIS is something I find questionable! Ms. McDonald informed us last night that TAS ONLY has the right to take in strays – that for what, 20 years? the THS has been doing so ILLEGALLY. Which again begs the question – if that were the case, then WHY hasn’t this been addressed before? As I consider that one of their primary functions – in that strays have a far better chance of rehabilitation and surviving at the THS rather than at TAS – this is something that will need to be addressed!
3. No clarification on what is considered “acceptable” intakes; but that is simply because that issue (amongst the others) did not come up – we should enquire and get a definitive answer whether there will be parameters on which animals will be ‘acceptable” for intake to the “new” THS.

Again, someone has pointed out to me that until about 8-10 years ago, the City of Toronto contracted the THS to be it’s animal pound for strays. That contract was either cancelled or not renewed by the City – most probably becuase of conflicts with Tim Trow.  We are going to look into the Municipal Act  and see in fact that THERE is a provision that makes it illegal for anyone other than Animal Services to take in strays in Toronto.  That type of proviso would certaintly put a tremendous number of rescues (i.e., Toronto Cat Rescue, Annex Cat Rescue, etc) into a qusetionable legal position - and I find it higly improbably that they do NOT take in strays.