There is no victory - not in this or anything since -

Reading today that all charges were summarily dropped against Tim Trow et al, arising from the outrageous, unsubstantiated and illegal occupation, search and seizure of the Tornonto Humane Society by the OSPCA last Spring do not leave me happy.  No one who had spent any time at the THS prior to the militant, ignorant and confrontational takeover by the OSPCA would NEVER deny for one moment that there were NOT issues.  But conversely, most of us who had spent LOTS of time there (and I can only speak for the dogs) spoke in vain about the SEVERITY of the allegations - and denied they were anywhere NEAR as bad as was bleated and puffed and yelled by the OSPCA, followed by their tame media sources like Kate Hammer and the Globe.

The ACRB reviewed a June 2009 OSPCA inspection of THS animals. The Crown said that the ACRB’s final decision, which concluded that cages were clean, ventilation was adequate, and animals were being fed, would have made it “difficult for the Crown to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that senior officers of the THS willfully permitted animal suffering by failing to exercise reasonable care.”

Again and again the issue of that poor wee cat in the ceiling is brought up and that indeed IS unforgiveable. My own sense of what went so tragically wrong there was that Trow et al. did one of their frequent mass firings.  Without a doubt, things HAD deteriorated in the three years I volunteered there - I believe implicitly that Tim Trow had many GOOD years there but I for one saw a progressive decline in rationality - and watched in dismay as almost a "hoarder" mentality began to pervade the building.

But having (as I have said before) a tragic familiarity with the heavy-handed, arrogance of the OSPCA I was beyond upset when they took over - and for good reason. To this day, HUNDREDS of animals are unaccounted for.  When confronted about where all the animals went during their occupation, vaguely worded assurances that they were in 'foster' or "rescues" have NEVER been substantiated.

Dismissing the charges doesn't bring back our animals.

Dismissing the charges won't allow me to feel the hot, sweet warmth of Peti curling up in my lap.  It won't allow me to laugh again when Smokey runs back to his kennel when I come to get him for his walk, and snuffling and snorting brings his toy.  It doesn't give Captain - who was SIX MONTHS OLD when he came to the THS and barely a year when he was killed, a chance to live his life.... or Tiger with his boundless energy his opportunity to find his home with Rosanna who was ready, willing and able to take him.

It doesn't bring back the HUNDREDS of cats the OSPCA deemed "unadoptable" or all the other animals that were summarily executed.

All it does is highlight that politics, self-absorption, arrogance and a twisted belief in THEIR opinion permeates even the animal care field.  It shows that NO ONE seems to have the interests of the animals as the first and most important goal.  From hoarding, over-crowding, interference by the former management to the self-righteous arrgance of the serial killer OSPCA, the losers in this are STILL the animals.

Then and to my sorrow, now.

The "new" THS for all the vaunted promises stonewalls.  The "new THS" for all the will in the world is merely a sad, pathetic shadow of what it could be.

An email to executive director Garth Jerome respecting euthansia policies, owner surrenders and other issues was promptly and politely returned quickly and with good information. A direct request to explain then the summary and unnecessary euthanization of Icy has been ignored.

Tomorrow I will pursue the matter by telephone with another individual and hope to get some resolution of a tragedy that has dragged on for too long.

But, I admit it, I am not hopeful...