A mummified cat was found in the ceiling of the humane society during the raid.
A RAID on the Toronto Humane Society last Thursday has resulted in animal cruelty charges against a handful of agency employees, including its president and chief veterinarian.
The action was prompted in large part by a Globe and Mail investigation that revealed diseased animals who were left to die in their cages because of what the paper calls the shelter’s “much-too restrictive euthanasia policy.”
The Globe also obtained pictures of cats and dogs living in their own excrement, among other disturbing details.
Investigators carrying out the raid last Thursday found something particularly horrifying: a mummified cat in a cage. Here’s how the Toronto Star described the scene (I nearly vomited in my mouth when I first read this):
… a tip led investigators to pull panels from a ceiling on the second floor, where they discovered the body of the caged animal. Its skin stretched thin over frail bones. Its organs turned to thick dust, the remains of a feast for maggots. The cat was sealed in a live trap, the door closing after it was lured by food, above a high-traffic area. Its weakening cries would have mixed with the chorus of animals below.
The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which carried out the raid, said it also discovered expired pet food, years-old apparently, that was being fed to sick cats. Since the raid five of the animals have been put down: a puppy, a dog, two cats and a raccoon.
One former humane society veterinarian told reporters touring the building post-raid that sick animals were not given pain medication. She said she’d resigned because management often overruled her professional decisions and because the facility was understaffed.
The humane society denies these charges. “The animals are under excellent veterinary care, they receive all medicines, all treatments, all procedures necessary to make them better,” a spokesman said.
What’s at issue here is a fundamental difference of opinion about what’s best for animals sick with inoperable conditions: Should they be kept alive as long as possible, no matter the cost (physical and financial); or should they be put out of their misery?
The Humane Society trumpets its low euthanasia rates, presumably in an effort to attract donations from those who are firmly in that former camp. (Critics point out that these numbers are so low because many animals are left to die slow painful deaths in their cages.)
I think keeping any animal alive that’s suffering from an incurable condition is cruel, plain and simple. It is the exact opposite of humane.
I’ve had a number of pets over the years – dogs, cats, heck guinea pigs. The decision to put them down rather than let them continue living in pain is never an easy one to make. You love these furry little creatures; they’re a part of your family and you can’t fathom life without them.
But soon you come to the realization that this is not about you or your needs; it’s about doing what’s right for a poor, helpless animal.
If those who are supposed to be caring for suffering animals don’t get this, maybe they themselves deserve to be locked in cages and left to rot.
UPDATES
Dec 1: Humane society warned by province
Dec 1: Wildlife taken from humane society
