Toronto the Cruel

Once upon a time in a City which tiresomely refers to itself ad naseum as “world-class” there are various organizations which purport to care about the animals of this City.

We LOVE animals, said the City-mandated Toronto Animal Services passionately.  Yet they continue to slaughter many, many  dogs that look a bit like the mythical pit bulls – you know the ones with locking jaws, a slavering and overwhelming desire to rend and tear, the ones who “turn on you in an instance”.  Not, of course, the ones most of us are familiar with .. you know the “dogs”- regular dogs with regular personalities, with regular positives and negatives based on their life experience, training and personalities.  Of course, “their” kind of dogs and “our” kind of dogs look pretty much identical but apparently the all-seeing, all-knowing provincial government with their breed-specific legislation based on nothing more than media frenzy and innuendo knew MUCH better. The McSquinty Liberals (yes, the same wonderful organization that also brought you the death of democracy by cunningly removing the right to collective bargaining) KNEW that dogs with blocky heads and short coats were ALL MURDERING SWINE.  And while i know some of the mythical "pit bulls" do escape to rescue organizations and out-of-province shelters with a more balanced viewpoint, I would bet money that far more end up DEAD based only - and entirely - on their appearance.

Having said that, TAS  does do a lot of good things – and has improved tremendously over the past 20 years in terms of promoting a healthy environment, accepting a variety of domestic animals and even working hard to establish positive relationships with rescues and other animal-centric organizations.  I personally know  some amazingly awesome people within the employ of TAS who go above and beyond.  Bottom  line, however, is their mandate is animal control- not animal shelter and in that context, are limited in what they CAN do (as opposed to what I know many WANT to do).

And due to the amount of funding, limited officers and staff, there just is NOT enough attention being paid to situations where animals are being possibly abused or neglected. The deer struck last year and left to die in agony is a case in point ... WHERE WERE THE ANIMAL ORGANIZATIONS? That animal suffered fear, pain and trauma and lay there, helpless, dying and NO ONE came to help. In fact the organizations purporting to be responsible, stood by and watched... and I sure didn't see THS there either - after all - even if the  THS  were not allowed to "treat" the animal, I find it HIGHLY unlikely that anyone would have objected to a vet from either organization at least giving the poor creature a pain killer.

And then there are poor animals like this guy, who is living a monstrous, desperate and cruel existence at the end of a chain:

Meet King - that's him in front of the left hand garage door

That's his "doghouse" squished between the buildings

He's a beautiful boy

 Apparently, because he has a "house" it's ok to leave him out 24/7 - in every type of weather - like the frigid temperatures we are experiencing right NOW.  The fact that there is not a chance in HELL that his water will be anything but frozen ... that no one has checked to ensure that his doghouse MEETS CITY STANDARDS is irrelevant...

 (paragraphs from Toronto Animal Services- Enforcement and Mobile Response.

§ 349-5. Responsibility to care for animals.

Every person who keeps an animal within the City's boundaries shall provide the animal

or cause it to be provided with adequate and appropriate care, food, water, shelter,

exercise, attention and veterinary care as may be required to meet the need of the species.

§ 349-6. Enclosures for animals kept out of doors.

If an animal is customarily kept out of doors, the person having the custody or control of

the animal shall provide for its use at all times a structurally sufficient, weather-proofed

and insulated enclosure of appropriate size and dimension.

349-7. Tethers.

A. No person shall keep any animal in the City tethered on a chain, rope or similar

restraining device of less than three metres in length.
B. Every person who has tethered an animal shall ensure, at all times, that the animal
has unrestricted movement within the range of the tether, and that the animal cannot

suffer injury resulting from the tethering.

So I don't know if the doghouse is insulated and weather proofed, nor do I know if King's chain which was attached to him when he was 3 months old and has not been off since is an "acceptable length".  Because frankly, no one seems to give fuck (believe me, both myself and others have tried).

But what about the "other" organization - the one that has garnered so much controversy and press and notoriety in the past few years you ask?

Well, they can't do a damn thing about King because they continue to assert that their powers to investigate has not been returned to them. Not sure exactly why it is taking so damn long - could be that the OSPCA (who I believe gives them the go-ahead but I keep being told contradictory reasons - i.e. is it the OSPCA, OR it is the City who appoint only TAS - illumination anyone?) is reluctant in view of their own complete and utter clusterfuck when first "investigating" (i.e. raiding and slaughtering hundreds of animals)- or maybe because the OSPCA actually prefers to spend its money on costly weekends at Casino Rama or the building of a HUGE facility in Newmarket with empty cages.. who knows.  All I know is that the "new" THS has been up and running for a couple of years now and STILL doesn't have the authority  (or in my view, seemingly, the intent) to investigate animal cruelty charges. Why???  Every time I've asked, I've been told it's going to happen - but hey, here we are and they STILL can't.

Further, while the Shelter was obscenely and unhealthily over-crowded during Tim's reign, now it is like a ghost town ... I believe there are currently between 20-24 dogs there in a place that could easily accommodate twice to three times that many.

Toronto is amazingly fortunate in that it actually has very few "strays".  As a result, both TAS and THS often pull animals (well, dogs only I think) from all over the place as Toronto (due to its population) is a great market for potential adopters.  As someone who 'transports', I've brought dogs from Quebec, from other Ontario shelters etc to both TAS and THS and those dogs have ALL found wonderful homes, usually in a very short period of time.  The Toronto Humane Society even took in five Thai dogs that were in desperate straits and kudos to them for that..

But many shelters right here in Ontario and also in Quebec (chronically there) are over-crowded, desperate for help, desperate to find placements for their over-crowded environs - so why aren't both organizations being more pro-active?  Hell, talking to the people at the Montreal SPCA, things are ALWAYS in a desperate situation there!  I also know that the Quinte Humane Society, a few short hours away, is chronically under-funded (and does a great job despite this)- but often are also very crowded.  Durham Humane which probably does (in my opinion) one of the BEST jobs in terms of compassion, knowledge and caring, often is bursting at the seams.

Oh and yeah - about those strays - THS says they can't accept strays (that TAS is the only "legal" entity allowed to do so)... so strays picked up or turned in are daily sent to Toronto Animal Services - who (to my knowledge) are more than happy to send them back but oddly, unless someone agitates from the THS (which seldom happens) and if those 'strays' happen to be 'illegal' 'pit bull types'  (i.e not grandfathered with paperwork under the BSL), then if TAS can't find them a placement outside the province, well, they're DEAD..

Clearly, I don't have ingress to all the ins and the outs, the politics, the back rooms and the meetings; all I've got is eyes and ears and an overwhelming belief that the animals of Toronto really do deserve a better deal than they're getting now.  The fact is there are some amazing people working (and volunteering) for both TAS and THS - caring, compassionate people with vision and the will to do better.  But somewhere along the road, those people aren't being heard. Somewhere, somehow, the animals of Toronto are being denied what the mandates promise them - safe haven...

Meanwhile... King freezes at the end of a chain.

Darwin gets a chance

By now, few people are unaware of the little primate called "The Ikea Monkey" and his appearance at a Toronto Ikea store in a faux fur shearling coat.  The ignorant POS owner, Yasmin Nakhuda is whining about this poor creature being taken from her, claiming he needs his "mother".

Look, you stupid BITCH - you stole this baby from his mother at SIX weeks of age - not only depriving him of maternal caregiving including proper nutrition, but even worse, depriving him of the opportunity to bond with and learn from his own species.  You brought him into your home and proceeded to treat him like a wind-up toy, dressing him up like a doll, taking videos that you apparently thought were "adorable" but were in fact a form of animal abuse and then bring him out in a Canadian winter and leave in him in your damn CAR.

Primate Info Net says:

Rhesus macaques live in large, multi-male/multi-female groups that have an average of 10 to 80 individuals, regardless of habitat type.

And he, poor wee thing, relegated to a solitary existence.  Further, Rhesus groups are matriarchal in nature. Poor Darwin was taken from his mother at SIX WEEKS - note the "natural" progression of an infant monkey.

While the majority of parental care is the responsibility of the mother, rhesus infants are also handled by close female relatives and protected by adult males. In the first few days, the infant is carried ventrally and protected from other group members by the mother. Ventral clinging is the position most frequently adopted during travel for the first four months of life, but rhesus infants begin to ride dorsally for short periods during the second week (Lindburg 1971). By six weeks of age, locomotor skills are developed enough for the infant to move independently, but they do not move very quickly at this age, and if the mother is traveling too quickly, she will pick up the infant and carry it (Lindburg 1971). Some young rhesus are carried until they reach one year of age, though it is rare. During early infancy, rhesus macaques nurse exclusively for the first two weeks of life, after which they begin to experiment with solid food. At about four months of age, rhesus mothers begin to resist the attempts of their offspring to nurse, and young rhesus macaques are fully weaned by the birth of their next sibling (Fooden 2000). 

By stealing this little monkey from his mother (and is ANYONE following up on where she got him?  Have Montreal authorities been contacted to ascertain what SOB is selling baby monkeys?), she changed the course of his future - and in so doing has potentially prevented him from ever developing a healthy, natural lifestyle suited to his species.  From whom would he learn proper etiquette? From whom would he learn the facial expressions common to a healthy, functioning tribe?  And how would he learn his own intricate language?

This trend to own exotic animals without any forethought or care about whether the environment is a healthy one for them must be stopped.

Money does not trump the rights of the other species with whom we share this world.

The rush to have the latest "thing", the trendiest "pet" is obscene and the individuals who perpetuate the abuse and objectification of living creatures must be brought to task. A paltry $240 fine is hardly going to dissuade those who seek the limelight from purchasing another poor hapless creature.

Elephants living in misery in our zoos.

Intelligent, beautiful sea creatures - whales and seals - living in horrific conditions to put money in the coffers of an owner without a conscience.

Baby polar bears dying for the second year in a row due to an unnatural environment and a stressed, unhappy mother.

and individuals who believe cash trumps compassion.

Such a sad world for those with whom we share this earth.

Thank god for people like those at Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary - who have taken in this little baby and are giving him a chance to be who he was meant to be. They are even hoping to provide him with a surrogate mother - someone who will nurture and understand him as only a mother could.

However, it is VERY expensive to feed and nurture and take care of primates - so in this Season of Giving, please see if you can give a little to Darwin's new life http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/294104. Every little bit helps

The Autumn King

Yes, I put things on my dogs... in fact, in the net while I"ll be dressing them up for their Xmas photo!  Llyr looks incredibly unimpressed with his crown don't you think?

It ain't rocket science

A story in today's Star highlights an issue which is overdue for tackling. To wit - what the HELL happened to common sense and teaching children how to behave around dogs??

I feel for the child - it must have been a frightening and  painful experience, one which hopefully has not left her with a lifetime aversion to dogs.  But seriously!!  Not ONE, but TWO parents left young children unsupervised in the backyard with a strange (relatively) dog who the pet-sitter and neighbour (Vanessa Vandenberghe) had been warned was reactive, albeit to strange dogs.

Vandenberghe states:

While the Booths had warned her to watch Panny near other dogs, she said they “absolutely did not tell me to be careful with Panny and unfamiliar children,” or of the need to supervise him around kids.

First, this was the first and only offence by Panny; prior exposure to children had been positive. Second, and MORE important, who in the name of GOD needs to "tell someone" to be careful with a dog around children?  When did our society stop using their common sense?

Kealin and the pups

I am so tired of the abdication of responsibility that is so prevalent in our society today. Parents seem to point fingers and blame everyone but themselves.  Even the Santa Clause parade is  banned from throwing CANDIES because some idiot   sued them for "pain, injury and suffering" .  Throughout the school years of my four children I saw parents refusing responsibility for their childrens' issues, blaming the school, blaming the teacher, blaming the other parents, blaming the other kids instead of standing up and admitting they had dropped the ball.  Great role models for our next generations ....

The lack of parental supervision and awareness of even the most basic dog "etiquette" has been brought home to me again and again when out with my own two dogs.  Both rescues, both with their own complex set of issues and triggers, I am astounded again and again when kids come running up, often yelling and loud, waving their hands and wanting to throw their arms around their necks.  And mum or dad standing complacently yards away, telling me fondly how "much little Johnny loves animals".  They are invariably pissed and outraged when I tell them they need to teach their kids how to behave around dogs and just as invariably they put the onus on me and tell me "you shouldn't be out with those dogs if they aren't friendly".  

Well, GUESS what, stupid parent!  I HAVE taken responsibility. Which is why I don't bring Finn to places where there are a lot of people and chaos.  She is fearful and as such, possibly prone to fear biting (she hasn't yet, but I know the possibility exists).  So she doesn't get to go to Pet Smart or to rallies or to anywhere I can be sandbagged by stupid people.  

Llyr, who was very aggressive when I got him (territorial aggression related to being chained to a doghouse for his first three years in a backyard), CAN be trusted if I am out with him.  I know how to read him and how to gauge his reactions.  By nature, he loves people and kids, and while his anxiety and bred in the bone reactiveness is still there, he has decent self-discipline and more importantly, looks to me every time for cues.

Which does not excuse the kid who JUMPED on his back in Pet Smart... or the 7 year old that SMACKED him because he "looked scary" when we walked (quietly) by him nor does it exonerate the numerous kids that have thrown themselves at him and tried to ride him (he is very tall and large) but most of all it doesn't excuse the parents who have FAILED abysmally to teach their children even the most basic dog knowledge.

Some things don't change. As a kid, my mother drilled into us a few basic rule when it came to dogs (and we always had them; further, I NEVER saw a dog that my mother couldn't pet or touch - even guard dogs couldn't resist her):

Rule 1: NEVER approach a strange dog without asking permission from the owner - if the owner is NOT there, then leave it alone.

Rule 2: Once you have had permission, NEVER put your face near a dog.

Rule 3:  Put your hand out and let the dog sniff it and come to YOU.

I'm sure there were other adages but these three certainly worked and were fairly universal when I was growing up. Dogs ran free then - were seldom spayed or neutered - and pretty well every family had one - but I grew up without knowing ONE kid that ever got bitten.

If I were public media - I would use this as an example of
nasty dogs - these are my dogs and they're PLAYING!!

I hope Audrey recovers from her bite. I hope with all my heart that she doesn't scar and that she learns to trust dogs again.  But killing Panny is NOT the solution.  The myth that if once a dog bites, they'll bite again is just THAT - a myth.  We do not know what went on in the backyard that morning - whether the children provoked the dog, whether they stepped on her accidentally and she simply reacted, whether it was fear or indeed, whether it was aggression.

But one bite by a dog should not carry with it a death sentence.  

And these parents need to swallow their guilt and step up to the plate and admit it was their irresponsibility which lead to this in the first place.

Absence of Malice

Sometimes, it is the absence of something that brings attention to it.


Captain sits quiet beside me, wrinkly muzzle tipped up, tawny eyes taking in the bustle of Dorval Airport’s Air Canada cargo. His airline crate stands ready and we’re just waiting for my daughter to sort out his ticket. This boy, who I only met yesterday has already stolen my heart.

An Air Canada worker in the distinctive orange vests walks in and her eyes light up. Trotting over, she ignores me and bends, hands outstretched. “Bonne chien! Ma petite chou”... sweet dog she cries, taking his blocky head between her hands and rubbing his ears. Wiggle butt Captain grins and slurps messy pink kisses all over her face, body vibrating with pleasure. Calling to a co-worker, another orange-vested cargo employee walks over, grinning. Greeting me, he compliments me on my “beautiful” dog and bending rubs the excited dog’s flanks.

Captain is in heaven. Muscular body vibrating with pleasure, ears close to his head, eyes squinched shut in ecstasy, he radiates positive energy and affability. These are simply two more of what has been, almost without exception, an incredibly positive response to this beautiful dog.

Walking him outside, before the office opened, I had been approached by at least five people, each of whom wanted to meet “my” dog and ask about him. Without exception, they were shocked to the core when I told them that not only was this friendly, sweet-natured puppy a pariah in Ontario, but based on nothing more than his looks, he would be given a death sentence – like thousands and thousands of dogs like him. So encompassing is this concerted genocide, that Captain could not even be flown out of Pearson with impunity but had to be driven to Quebec.

Oddly, it was not until the innocuous reality of being greeted in a normal manner that I realized just how pervasive and poisoned is the atmosphere and environment in Ontario. It was, in fact, the “absence” of fear, the “absence” of loathing, the “absence” of disgust (against me for having “that” kind of dog) that brought home what a sick society exists in Ontario. Media frenzy, ably abetted by a government not averse to using myth and superstition as a weapon has created in the minds of many Ontarians a skewed and negative belief that the (usually improperly) labelled “pit bulls” are pariahs and to be avoided and despised.

A pervasive plan to demonize thousands of dogs based entirely on their appearance has been spectacularly and tragically, successful – and in its success the Liberals garnered goodwill and votes. The manipulative and sociopathic bastards that spearheaded the annihilation of innocent dogs have admitted that it was done primarily to create sound bites; Michael Bryant himself, the arrogant, alcoholic, cyclist-murdering godfather of BSL admits that he created the legislation more as an “ego” boost than because of any real belief that certain breeds were more dangerous than others. After all, the very experts they called to pass judgment on whether “pit bulls” were inherently unstable and dangerous debunked and undermined their claims.

Reality is not a tangible actuality for those who have espoused and continue to support breed specific legislation. Thus, a dog who “looks” a certain way (wide-set eyes, blocky body, short-haired) is magically transformed into a ravening, bloody-thirsty monster with “locking” jaws. The fact that DNA may indeed show that not a drop of American Staffordshire, American pit bull or bulldog is in the helix is irrelevant – he “looks” therefore he “is”.

It’s time. Kneeling, I hug my sweet boy and he washes my face with slurpy pittie kisses. I feel my eyes tear up and as I gently guide him into his crate, they fall, wetting my cheeks. He looks anxious, frightened. His young life has been uncertain and disrupted this past week. From the safe, loving haven of four months in a foster home, to a chaotic couple of days being health checked to the introduction and stress of meeting me and then journeying from province to province, he is scared.*

My heart aches and I feel rage consume me that the arbitrary and capricious actions of sociopathic politicians condemns him and thousands like him to an undeserved death. I am angry, really, really angry that this boy – greeted so unreservedly and enthusiastically here in Quebec – would be denigrated, despised and feared in Ontario. My daughter and I cry as we watch Captain leave, but I know he goes to a loving home and a place where he will be treated based on who he is, not what he looks like. A place where he will be allowed to live in freedom and without fear.

BSL MUST end. It is arbitrary, grossly inefficient, supremely misguided and has in fact rubberstamped the genocide of thousands of dogs – innocent of anything other than looking a certain way.

Bye Captain. Live free, my friend.

*Not saying where I got him from in case they get in trouble

Off-leash, offhand.. NOPE - But Mallick has a hate on

Heather Mallick of the Star writes a vitriolic diatribe, ostensibly on Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong's somewhat questionable motion to have all parks after 9 p.m. designated off-leash for the unquestionably growing segment of dog owners in the City of Toronto.  

On an initial read, I was taken aback but actually agreed with Ms. Mallick as personal experience has taught me that a very large number of off-leash dogs shouldn't be.  Unless your dog responds immediately, unless your dog can focus in a potentially volatile situation, unless your dog understands the concept of space, is properly socialized and knows how to interact properly, then PLEASE do other dogs - and owners - a favour and keep your dog leashed.

As the owner of two rescue german shepherds who have their own complex set of hangups - including the necessity of proper introductions to other dogs (and for that matter people) - I have had my much loved hikes severely limited the past few years as the number of unmanageable and untrained dogs off-leash (i.e in non-designated areas) proliferate.  

However, the issue here is Ms. Mallick's acid denigration and wholesale condemnation of ALL dogs and their owners is unmistakably rooted in what I would even term hatred for our four legged buddies.

Damned if I am not yet again thrown in to yet another hated sub-group of this City!  It already seems like half the city hates the fact I like to cycle, now I'm being hate-bombed because I have dogs?

Seriously Toronto - you really need to understand that the very complexity of this City is part of its reality. That the incredibly workable mix of cultures, sub-cultures, religions, colours, genders and everything else are what makes this City the one it is. Further, there really IS room for all of us here!  A simple understanding that we all SHARE what this City offers would go a long way to deflating a lot of bruised egos; a grasp of the concept we all learned in kindergarten would really help make life here in this busy place more pleasant, more grounded for all of us.

I DESPISE overkill in the sense that the majority are punished for the crimes of a very few.  I railed against my kids' schools if they punished a class for one child's transgression - and refused to tolerate the same kind of behaviour in my job - so please do not paint myself or the MAJORITY  of other responsible dog owners for the crimes of a few.  Deal instead with the ones that offend and come down heavy.

So Ms. Mallick - feel free to disagree with Councillor Minnan-Wong's suggestion - you'll find a lot of us "irresponsible" dog owners feel exactly the same. But your hatred (fear?) of dogs shines clearly through the rhetoric and attempted humour. You really need to face your fears and figure out why you have such a dislike of a creature that has stood beside human beings for thousands upon thousands of years.

I could easily come up with hundreds of examples of irresponsible parenting (from screaming kids in stores, unmanageable kids in restaurants, diapers left stinking up benches, etc)- but what's the point?  I know very well that most parents are responsible and muddle along the best they can - and frankly, most kids can be fun.  So I'm not going to condemn parents or kids for the bad behaviour of a few.

I suggest you get off your high horse, face your obvious fear and dislike of dogs and accept that they are an integral and growing part of the reality not just of this City but of any City.  The future brings with it an increasingly urban landscape - and just like drivers are going to have to figure out how to live in peace and share with cyclists - so too will the city dweller learn to accept and live in peace with those who chose to embrace dogs in their lives.

Pretty needs a forever home of her own

Pretty is a 9 years young terrier mix at the Toronto Humane Society. She is a sweet, mischievous bundle of energy whose zest for life, walks and all things fun belies her age.  

She has not had the easiest of lives and as such, her tolerance of other dogs and reaction to new environments requires a somewhat experienced owner. NOT that she is a problem - you just need to know how to guide and teach her new social skills - and the THS staff are ready, willing and able to help with the transition.

Happy Tails Dog Spa has kindly and generously provided a custom-made muzzle for this girl, who due to the draconian, misguided and STUPID laws enacted by that pathetic excuse for a Liberal government, must remain muzzled in public.

Pretty's energy levels - like most terriers- are high and she loves to play.  With a little guidance, Pretty's sweet, affectionate nature, big smile and earnest desire to please would make a wonderful companion and workout buddy!

Please share, far and wide - let's find one of the THS's longest residents her very OWN home in time for Christmas!