Loki’s Gift

When one first boots up to check their email, they are often just looking to hear from friends.  Curious to see how everyone is doing and to catch up with each other.  Share pleasantries, recent photos and to connect.

When a person is an animal rights advocate/activist that persons email is for the most part a grand mixture of pleasantries as well as URGENT ALERTS requiring immediate action and forwarding, all concerning various issues on animal abuse, neglect, rallies, fund raisers and far too often very graphic pictures of animals exploited and victimized.

The email received below is a prime example of legal issues governing the Standards of Required Care for animals, Provincial Legislation and inaction on the part of the Powers that Be.  This email received, will of course be forwarded to a vast network of dedicated individuals who work tirelessly towards making positive change.  Will you be one of these people and take the necessary action needed to ensure that proactive legislation is enacted?

THIS REQUEST, RECEIVED AS AN EMAIL, HAS BEEN COPIED AND PASTED

Dear Friends of Animals – Below you will find some backgrounder in respect of Ontario’s failure to regulate the keeping of tigers, lions and other exotics/wild animals (a similar article is attached). Please write a quick letter regarding this issue! But please do so in your own words and do not copy info directly from this email request.

 Especially, if you live in Thorold – please write to all the members of the City of Thorold Council as they have recently drafted an animal control bylaw that did not include exotic species.  

To find the emails and names of Thorold Councillors, go to -  http://www.thorold.com/siteengine/activepage.asp?PageID=296 

The Mayor of Thorold is Ted Luciani – mayor@thorold.com 

If you live in M.P.P. Jim Bradley’s riding, contact him jbradley.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org or at jbradley.mpp@liberal.ola.org

Minister Bradley is the Minister responsible for the Ontario SPCA and as such should be interested in these issues.

OR

Using www.electionsontario.ca  you can find the name and contact info of your own MPP. With an election in the autumn, it is a good time to remind them what our concerns are in respect of these animals.

 Our province has the distinction of being the only one in Canada not to have any such regulations. As a result, anyone can buy and breed a tiger or lion (provided there is no municipal bylaw prohibiting the keeping of that particular species) without acquiring a licence; without being subject to inspections by qualified inspectors; without having any professional training in the construction of wild animal facilities or animal management; and without demonstrating that they have the resources, commitment and expertise to provide minimally suitable care for captive wild animals in either the short- or long-term.  In other words, those applying to adopt dogs and cats from the local shelter are probably held to far higher standards than those seeking to purchase and breed ‘pet’ tigers. There are more roadside zoos & and private wildlife collectors in Ontario than in any other province. In addition to approximately 50 zoos, there are thousands of private animal owners, including many that are housing potentially dangerous animals.  Evidence suggests that in the vast majority of cases, these animals are kept with little regard to animal welfare or public safety. 
What’s astonishing is that the province has failed to take action despite the demonstrable threat these wretched animals pose to the public. Since 1985, there have been some 50 incidents in which exotics have escaped from their enclosures and/or injured or killed people. The recent case of Norman Buwalda is only the last in a long series of events highlighing the need for reform. Mr. Buwalda was killed in 2009 by his pet tiger. Years earlier, he had successfully turned to the courts to strike down a local by-law forbidding him to keep tigers. The municipality in question had first tried to pass the bylaw banning tiger ownership in 2004 after Mr. Buwalda’s tiger had mauled a 10 year old child.

http://www.wspa.ca/wspaswork/roadsidezoos/

http://www.wspa.ca/latestnews/2010/new_ontario_bill_to_prevent_tragic_tiger_maulings.aspx