http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/savetas/
Save Toronto Animal Services
PRIVATIZATION DOES NOT WORK!!!
Per email received:
Please read/educate yourself/crosspost and see at the bottom, how you can help.
Toronto City Council is very seriously proposing basically scrapping Toronto Animal Services (‘TAS’) and privatizing the services. Why should you care? It’s important we all understand the repercussions if this goes through.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES TAS DO?
* TAS is a city service responsible for enforcing animal-related bylaws in Toronto.
* Pick up injured animals and provide either veterinary care or humane euthanasia
* Pick up dead wild/domestic animals
* Accept surrendered or stray animals and shelter them; if a dog or cat is deemed available for adoption, they are spayed/neutered, microchipped, dewormed, treated for fleas, vaccinated and licensed
* Run four animal shelters that adopt out animals
In 2010, just ONE of these shelters adopted out:
391 dogs
287 small animals
1029 cats
* Provide low-cost euthanasia to the public
* Reunite lost pets with owners
* Deal with animal-related complaints
* Work with local rescues to place certain animals in a more appropriate environment
* Operate a spay/neuter clinics for cats
* Provide Dog Bite Prevention programs to elementary schools
* Respond to animal-related complaints such as dog bites
SO WHY SHOULDN’T TORONTO CONTRACT OUT ANIMAL SERVICES?
* There is no accountability when a private company runs animal services.
* A for-profit company has very different motivations than a city shelter or private rescue. It is ALWAYS cheaper to euthanize animals than to shelter them, provide vet care and adopt them out. It is also ALWAYS cheaper to euthanize them improperly, causing pain and fear. If a shelter provides proper care, veterinary services and community outreach, it cannot be a for-profit model.
* Contracting animal services out to a for-profit company has lead to disaster in Montreal. There, the city had an agreement with a private pound, Berger-Blanc, and recently footage of horrific abuse and neglect.
Read about the horrors at Berger-Blanc here (a CBC news report – graphic in nature):
The Montreal SPCA’s reaction:
You can see the documentary yourself here (very graphic – be prepared):
Note that at Berger Blanc:
– Euthanasia was done improperly, in the cheapest way possible.
– Very few adoptions occurred.
– Very few lost animals were reunited with owners.
– Veterinary care was not provided.
– Employees administered injections rather than veterinary technicians.
* Now many Montreal citizens want the city to take over animal control – but once it’s been contracted out, the city won’t have the resources or ability to take on that huge responsibility! That’s why we have to keep TAS public while we still have the chance!
CAN YOU HELP TODAY?
* Write to your city councillor and let them know that TAS is important to you SEE HERE FOR YOUR CITY COUNCILLOR: http://app.toronto.ca/im/council/councillors.jsp
* Spread the word to your friends, families and neighbours!
* You can sign the petition to keep TAS and stop it’s privatization http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/savetas/
* For more information/background go to the following sources:
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