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The Ottawa Humane Society and Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are headed to court after the provincial agency stripped the local humane society of its authority to investigate animal cruelty complaints.
The humane society is asking a judge for an emergency injunction Thursday that will restore its powers to conduct investigations into neglect and cruelty after the OSPCA suspended the society’s status as an affiliate last week. The OSPCA is the provincial body responsible for animal cruelty investigations, but delegates that authority to affiliates.
The OSPCA said it was in the process of filing a response in court and wouldn’t comment on the situation. However, spokeswoman Alison Cross said the OSPCA will now respond to Ottawa complaints about animal cruelty and will take over the ongoing investigations.
According to OHS president Bruce Roney, the decision to suspend Ottawa’s affiliate status came suddenly and without warning on July 18 following a prolonged dispute over governance practices at the OSPCA that began more than a year ago.
Roney said the Ottawa Humane Society and six other Ontario affiliates had threatened to take the OSPCA to court if it didn’t reverse changes to the society’s by-laws that removed the affiliates’ voting rights.
Roney said the decision to suspend the Ottawa Humane Society’s investigative powers came two days before a deadline the humane societies had imposed for the OSPCA to respond to their concerns.
According to Roney, the only reason the OSPCA gave the humane society for the suspension of its enforcement powers was the OHS’s “inability to maintain a functional working relationship.” Roney said it was made clear there were no performance issues with the humane society’s six investigators or the humane society itself.
Roney said following the suspension, the OSPCA met with OHS investigators last week to take their identification and equipment and offer them contract positions. None of their full time investigators agreed to leave, he said.
In the meantime, Roney said he’s concerned the lives of animals could be put at risk. The humane society would routinely respond to reports of dogs locked in hot cars and other allegations of animal neglect. Earlier in July, the OHS said it had responded to 174 calls of dogs being left in hot cars so far this summer — three of which led to criminal charges under the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
“Since the suspension of the OHS agents and corresponding OSPCA’s assumption of direct responsibilities for animal rescue and investigation activities in Ottawa took place, the level of service in these areas in the Ottawa area has diminished, with fewer agents on the ground, fewer hours of operations, and a shelter located out of town,” said the humane society’s application for the injunction.
“Ongoing and urgent investigations have been placed on hold and have suffered delays,” said the application. “The public has complained about situations of suspected animal cruelty or neglect in which the OSPCA has refused to act.”
None of the allegations against the OSPCA have been proven in court.
The humane society is still responding to calls of animals struck by cars, wildlife in distress or cats stuck in trees, but won’t be able to execute warrants, rescue animals or conduct investigations, Roney said.
Roney said he expects Ottawa police and by-law officers will now respond to life-threatening situations. Non-urgent calls about animal neglect or cruelty should be made to the Ontario SPCA, he said.
aseymour@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/andrew_seymour
查看原文...
The humane society is asking a judge for an emergency injunction Thursday that will restore its powers to conduct investigations into neglect and cruelty after the OSPCA suspended the society’s status as an affiliate last week. The OSPCA is the provincial body responsible for animal cruelty investigations, but delegates that authority to affiliates.
The OSPCA said it was in the process of filing a response in court and wouldn’t comment on the situation. However, spokeswoman Alison Cross said the OSPCA will now respond to Ottawa complaints about animal cruelty and will take over the ongoing investigations.
According to OHS president Bruce Roney, the decision to suspend Ottawa’s affiliate status came suddenly and without warning on July 18 following a prolonged dispute over governance practices at the OSPCA that began more than a year ago.
Roney said the Ottawa Humane Society and six other Ontario affiliates had threatened to take the OSPCA to court if it didn’t reverse changes to the society’s by-laws that removed the affiliates’ voting rights.
Roney said the decision to suspend the Ottawa Humane Society’s investigative powers came two days before a deadline the humane societies had imposed for the OSPCA to respond to their concerns.
According to Roney, the only reason the OSPCA gave the humane society for the suspension of its enforcement powers was the OHS’s “inability to maintain a functional working relationship.” Roney said it was made clear there were no performance issues with the humane society’s six investigators or the humane society itself.
Roney said following the suspension, the OSPCA met with OHS investigators last week to take their identification and equipment and offer them contract positions. None of their full time investigators agreed to leave, he said.
In the meantime, Roney said he’s concerned the lives of animals could be put at risk. The humane society would routinely respond to reports of dogs locked in hot cars and other allegations of animal neglect. Earlier in July, the OHS said it had responded to 174 calls of dogs being left in hot cars so far this summer — three of which led to criminal charges under the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
“Since the suspension of the OHS agents and corresponding OSPCA’s assumption of direct responsibilities for animal rescue and investigation activities in Ottawa took place, the level of service in these areas in the Ottawa area has diminished, with fewer agents on the ground, fewer hours of operations, and a shelter located out of town,” said the humane society’s application for the injunction.
“Ongoing and urgent investigations have been placed on hold and have suffered delays,” said the application. “The public has complained about situations of suspected animal cruelty or neglect in which the OSPCA has refused to act.”
None of the allegations against the OSPCA have been proven in court.
The humane society is still responding to calls of animals struck by cars, wildlife in distress or cats stuck in trees, but won’t be able to execute warrants, rescue animals or conduct investigations, Roney said.
Roney said he expects Ottawa police and by-law officers will now respond to life-threatening situations. Non-urgent calls about animal neglect or cruelty should be made to the Ontario SPCA, he said.
aseymour@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/andrew_seymour
查看原文...
