I am writing to voice my utmost disappointment at the government’s lack of concern regarding the OSPCA’s lack of transparency and accountability, the lack of oversight and the resultant failure to protect animals in Ontario; less than a year ago, MPP Frank Klees gave irrefutable proof of the OSPCA’s inability to enforce animal welfare regulations; we heard examples over and over again of the OSPCA’s bullying tactics and abuses of its self-policing powers; the health and welfare of animals is a public good and must be overseen and taken seriously by whatever government is in power, especially since Bill 50 afforded this Registered Charity self policing powers with accountability to noone: neither the government or local taxpayers or donors and it is even exempt from the Freedom of Information Act; Mr. Klees ‘ presentation was largely ignored by members who also ignored the vote while others voted without taking the time to hear the debate; this was an insulting act to Ontario voters ,especially since votes were cast along party lines and Liberal members in particular chose to ignore their own constituents’ wishes (over 30,000 petitions from the public were put forward to change the OSPCA Act!).
While other countries are making animal welfare a priority, Canada is out of step, and the provincial government seems content with the status quo...but many of us in the voting public are not and we will be watching how these issues are dealt with by all candidates from now until the Oct.6 election ; the indifference of any government or any politician will no longer be tolerated and Ontario voters will act accordingly to represent those who cannot speak for themselves.

Tony Porcaro

Dear Mr. Porcaro:

On behalf of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail, in which you raised an issue that falls within the portfolio of the Honourable Robert Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

Please be assured that your comments have been carefully reviewed. In view of his interest in this matter, I have taken the liberty of forwarding your e-mail to the Minister, for his information and review. I am certain that he will wish to give your views every consideration.

Thank you for writing to the Prime Minister. For more information on the Government's initiatives, you may wish to visit the Prime Minister's Web site, at www.pm.gc.ca.

M.F. Bustos
Manager/Gestionnaire
Executive Correspondence Services for the Prime Minister's Office
Services de la correspondance de la haute direction pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre

I would like to commend reporter Marlene Bergsma for her very balanced and well written article; it provided the missing element in this story which clearly was the views and feelings of the owners of the lambs: it is quite clear that the Rizzardos have a special kinship with their animals and provide them with exceptional love and care on the family farm; noone is arguing that the students involved are beyond redemption or deserving of second chances but there is reason to believe, as the Rizzardo's suggest, that lessons have not been learned and the issue of animal cruelty has not been treated with the seriousness that it should demand; on the one hand we have the LCHS which is "still investigating" and on the other we have an NRP spokesman saying that "it's up to the discretion of an investigating officer"; and while we may grant that there are a number of valid legal considerations involved, what seems to be repeatedly ignored is the fact that the pertinent laws designed to deal with these types of incidents already exist under the Ontario Animal Welfare Act and criminal code; it is the reluctance to take the Act seriously and lay charges that has left the Rizzardo family with a sense that justice was not done and, in fact, opens the door for further incidents of animal cruelty and Niagara has already had far too many; in effect, we not only have laws and penalties being ignored but also no proactive movement to make the general public aware of the laws and penalties for animal abuse and cruelty; this is unconscionable and no amount of fundraising or reward money will make up for a failure to act and show leadership and bring perpetrators to justice; and this writer would argue that those shelters or OSPCA affiliates that still have "kill policies"(such as the LCHS) are not only a part of the problem but actually are promoting animal cruelty; and this is so because the "kill mentality" will always create a "mindset" that allows a "permissive" attitude toward euthanizing healthy animals as well as toward the abusive treatment of any animal in the community ; our fellow creatures should not be expendable because we lack the courage to stand up for them and do the right thing by taking a stand against all forms of animal cruelty.

Tony Porcaro

Recently a resident of St.Catharines expressed "frustration and anger at the inadequate response of the humane society" after her plea for help for an injured cat went unanswered.
She rightly questioned where the protection for our animals was in this situation as many of us have regarding similar cases.
If the OSPCA and/or local affiliates or humane societies are overworked or understaffed, it should not be because of a lack of resources or funding...all regional agencies received money requested and even increases from their respective municipalities in the last round of budget allocations; it is also important to realize that the OSPCA is a private charity in this province, a charity that received $8.6 million in tax-receipted donations in 2008; it also got $2.8 million from the province and $2.04 million from municipalities, with over $17 million in revenue received according to 2008 tax filings;in addition, there is no oversight of OSPCA operations or any independent board monitoring their activities; the OSPCA is not answerable to the ombudsman, not subject to freedom of information requests or even to the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services...no external mechanism for accountability exists...they are not answerable to anyone because they are a private organization which, in reality, operates more like a government agency than the charity it is supposed to be; the OSPCA kill rate is estimated to be over 50%(I believe it to be much higher) with no visible or concerted effort to promote no-kill policies among its affiliates; there is also no active lobbying for more widespread establishment of high volume/low cost spay/neuter clinics which effectively address the overpopulation crisis; the resources provided at taxpayer expense have long been available to initiate long overdue changes but the status quo resists because of a lack of will and moral leadership from those in control; the "disposable mentality" reflected in the abandonment of defenceless animals can no longer be tolerated; a caring and compassionate society should demand nothing less than the right of our fellow creatures to live their lives and when necessary to be given our protection...which would include the rescue of the injured cat left on the side of Merritville Highway.

Tony Porcaro

Nobody wants to put down healthy cats. However, to catch, spay/neuter and then return feral cats to the wild is absolutely cruel. They face the elements, sickness and injury. Such efforts are well-meaning, but there are more animals to consider.
Cats kill birds and small animals. Given the chance, they'll take out your cat, too. The Port Colborne Feral Cat Initiative encourages irresponsible or desperate people to drop off unwanted cats. There are worse fates than death. Please spare these poor cats more suffering.
If you can't tame them, find homes for them, clench your teeth and do the merciful thing. Perhaps the money raised could better be used to reduce the cost of spaying or neutering other animals.

E. Ripper Port Colborne

E.Ripper's opinion on feral cats is very striking for its inherent contradiction and hypocrisy: we have comments that begin with "nobody wants to put down healthy cats" to sparing "poor cats more suffering" and doing "the merciful thing"; and in between are erroneous views related to feral behaviour and the efforts of the Port Colborne Feral Cat Initiative.
The overpopulation of ferals is a human-created problem caused, in large part, by the "disposable mentality" which is prevalent among many in our very own communities; as a humane and compassionate society we can do better than offering "killing"(it's not euthanasia!) as the only viable solution. Aside from neglectful and abusive owners the number one contribution to overpopulation is the lack of affordable services to spay and neuter pets and ferals; Niagara is desperately in need of a high volume/low cost spay neuter service such as the one fully operational in Newmarket which performs over 5000 surgeries in a single year; by contrast, in Niagara approximately 5000 cats are "put down" each year; such a clinic, along with the TNR approach, including adoptions and managed feral colonies, have already been proven to work effectively and show long-term success.
One other major contributing factor to the overpopulation crisis is the failure of municipalities and OSPCA affiliates to seriously deal with animal abandonment,especially unwanted cats; the new Ontario Animal Welfare Act clearly intends that there shouild be protection for all animals and there now exists provisions for stricter enforcement and prosecution.
I am certain that the PC Feral Cat Initiative will respond to E.Ripper's other concerns so I will not address them here; the PC group and all rescue groups should be commended for their tireless efforts and personal sacrifices as should the city of Port Colborne for its moral and financial support. "Worse fates than death" is a cynical and defeatest attitude which reflects the usual lack of accountability and conscience under the guise of "doing the right thing". Feral caretakers believe that there are better fates than the option of death and that is giving our fellow creatures the opportunity and right to live their lives.

Tony Porcaro

I urge Cheryl Kedwards to allow her love for her cats to guide her decision and immediately seek financial assistance from animal support groups in Niagara (if necessary she can contact me through The Tribune).

Her plight is a common situation -- a problem that has existed long before any economic downturn; there are much more widespread issues here that begged to be addressed and they involve many stakeholders, including the vet community, veterinary associations, humane societies, rescue groups and others. "Giving them up" will certainly mean euthanasia and we should refuse to accept this practice as a substitute for required medical procedures. Without questioning the vets' exorbitant fee structures it must be said that the "it's too much trouble to do" attitude clearly reflects the "bottom-line" mentality all too pervasive in today's veterinary practices.
Ms. Kedwards offers sensible suggestions which will most certainly be resisted by the status-quo ... we also often hear this other "standard response" from veterinarians: "If you can't afford the care, then you shouldn't have the pet in the first place".
There is much evidence that such statements reflect today's "reality" as perceived and practiced by many segments of our society; if so, we are in serious trouble and in dire need of taking a moral and ethical stance to fight this "moral bankruptcy".

Tony Porcaro Welland

I love my cats but I am seriously thinking of giving them up. Why? They need dental work and I don't have the approximately $3,000 to do this all in one go.
If three of them needed antibiotics to clear up dental infection, then its doubtful any can wait to long for the work to be done. I would be fine if veterinarians had payment plans -- but no, because "it's too much trouble to do." For whom? It seems to me that vets should think about how many animals are given up, due to lack of funds and their no payment plan policy. They'd have far more clients if they had something like this. No wonder the humane societies are swamped as we critter lovers have little enough money for food yet alone horrendous vet bills.
I ask vets to reconsider this policy quickly and carefully. Or maybe start a vet bank where we can pay back our bills over time and it can pay up front.

That would certainly be wonderful.

Cheryl Kedwards Welland

Tony Porcaro (founder of The Welland Feral Cat Support Group).

Tony Porcaro (founder of The Welland Feral Cat Support Group).

Tony Porcaro (founder of The Welland Feral Cat Support Group).

On behalf of my feral cat and TNR support group here in Niagara I would like to thank you for your upcoming documentary dealing with what is often an unpopular subject; the cat overpopulation crisis is a widespread North American phenomenon and in this province, in particular, has reached epidemic proportions; but it did not get this way overnight and many of us involved in cat and animal rescue and protection are all too familiar with the distressing images you will be portraying; after several years of personal experience and research it has become all too obvious that responsibility and blame can be shared by many stakeholders and not only an uncaring or indifferent public; the only blameless victims are the cats themselves who did not ask to be part of our "disposable society" and disposable is exactly what these animals have become because there is no major effort or moral direction which indicates that there will be a change in the status-quo; I have not seen the leadership and response needed from the vet colleges or the vet community where there is even a recognition of the problem; provincial OSPCA have promoted the establisment of low cost, high volume spay/neuter clinics and two have been opened in Ontario with great success but much more needs to be done...and the resistance of the veterinary sector to these clinics needs to be challenged for their self-serving profit motives; in addition, the relatively new Ontario Animal Welfare Act provides increased powers and direction to OSPCA officials and the time is long overdue for all OSPCA affiliates to begin taking their animal protection mandate seriously in not only prosecuting clear cases of animal neglect and abuse but in making it clear that animal abandonment, such as the cats of Cat City, is also against the law and those who continue to discard strays, ferals, and even their own pets will also face prosecution; in the meantime, as a caretaker of our managed feral cat colony I will continue to cope with the very same daily harrassment and vilification that these cats in our care are exposed to; if we are supposed to be the so-called "higher species" then we will surely be found wanting in our collective failure to stand up for these most vulnerable cats whose plight is directly due to human failings...any action at this stage will be a late response but no action will define us as a species to be ashamed of itself for its lack of moral and ethical character!

Tony Porcaro (founder of the Welland Feral Cat Support Group)

The cat-versus-bird argument is too simplistic and ignores the real cause of declining bird populations...the major cause of bird species loss-indeed, all species loss, is habitat destruction.
Habitat modification, fragmentation, and loss is caused by a myriad of human activities, including logging, crop farming, livestock grazing, mining, industrial and residential development, urban sprawl, road building, dam building, and pesticide use.
Considering the vast scale of human destruction of bird habitat, arguing about "cats-versus-birds" trivializes the critical issues facing bird populations today.
Cat lovers and bird lovers should be able to agree that, based on some of the most reliable research to date, the real danger to birds is human.