PARTY KIDS + SHELTER ANIMALS = CRUELTY - Brilliant move, OSPCA

Visualize if you will a childrens' birthday party. Sticky fingers, sugar-highs, shrill voices and hyper excitement ... nothing out of the ordinary and nothing wrong with it. Kids, after all, will be kids.  However, having personally experienced on numerous occasions the sheer volume and activity level of a kids' party, I am cognizant it is NOT for the faint-hearted.  You need to gird yourself with patience, tolerance and strong alcohol gallons of black coffee (in a vain attempt to match their sugar high with your caffeine-driven frenetic energy).

Visualize then the animals in a shelter environment.  Relegated, through necessity, to small cages for extended periods of time.  Nervous, anxiety-ridden and often frightened.  If strays, adjusting to a life so foreign to its known world, it is earth-shaking.  If owner surrenders, then confused, scared and prone to uncharacteristic behaviour fueled by the animal's world being rocked on its axis.

Then think about the latest "brilliant" OSPCA endeavour - putting the two TOGETHER.

For $175, up to 12 children are invited to, among other things:

•  An exciting, informative talk about the Ontario SPCA and the animals that stay with us
• A tour of the Center
• Hands-on socializing with our animals

Up to 12 children with no known degree of animal-husbandry.  Up to 12 kids with no insight into how much- if any- exposure they have had to animals.  Up to 12 kids, pumped on sugar and excitement - wanting to touch, fondle and "play" with animals which are already in a heightened state of anxiety and often, fear.

I wonder who thought up this BRILLIANT idea?

Could it be Kate Macdonald with her gaping paucity of knowledge and experience with animals?

Or perhaps Jim Sykes for whom the bottom line is MONEY not the humane, informed and proper care of animals?

A Board of Directors who see the OSPCA as a money-making endeavour with little connection to its stated mission?

I don't know what "genius" came up with this idea, but if we actually HAD a provincial humane organization that cared about animals - I would COMPLAIN to it!!  Oh, hold on - it is the actual provincial organization that SETS the rules, purports to spell out the parameters and has politically been allowed to dictate the measures that is actually DOING this.

This kind of grossly misguided way of raising funds for a "shelter" with almost NO animals simply highlights how unaware the individuals are who are running it. The fact that they proudly display this on their front page truly illustrates their ignorance when it comes to animals .

Ontario SPCA Humane Education Mission: By utilizing the bond between animals and children, the OSPCA is dedicated to providing leading edge education involving our environment, the animal kingdom, community and social justices to empower youth to become an informed, respectful & compassionate generation

I fail to see how putting up to 12 kids in close proximity to stressed, anxious animals is "humane".

I am perplexed how ANYONE with even a modicum of intelligence would believe that placing already excited kids around animals the organization purports to "protect" teaches anything but that animals are meant to be "playthings".

I believe that educating the public is crucial to moving froward an animal-friendly agenda in our society.

The obvious place to begin  is with children, many of whom in our society have had little to no chance to interact with animals, and many who may come from backgrounds due to a variety of factors that do not place the same value on animals that they deserve.

A birthday party is NOT one of the venues that would further that agenda.

Animals that interact on a regular basis with the general public, such as therapy dogs, require a certain temperament.  These animals are rigidly tested, exposed to a plethora of stressors and environments, are extensively trained and have one on one handling with beloved caretakers.

That does NOT encompass shelter animals.

These animals are dealing with enough terror in their lives, please do not contribute any more. Say NO to birthday parties at the OSPCA.