| Toronto Humane Society search includes discovery of a dead cat hidden in the ceiling | ||
| Also found was "Kit-Kat", which hadn't been fed in nearly a week and had not received medication for mouth ulcers | ||
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Toronto, ON (November 27, 2009) - One day after a search warrant was executed at the Toronto Humane Society, resulting in the arrests of five senior staff members, Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals investigators discovered a mummified cat in a cage hidden in the ceiling.
"This discovery sends a chill down my spine," said lead OSPCA investigator Kevin Strooband. "At the very least it proves that the search warrant and the charges laid were necessary." A photo of the discovery is attached. OSPCA advises media wishing to use the image to warn readers and viewers about its shocking contents beforehand if possible. Veterinarians and OSPCA officials have described the state of the THS facility as a "house of horrors" on the first day of their search. "This facility appears to have been operating beyond the bounds of decency," said OSPCA Chief Executive Officer Kate MacDonald. "It makes us wonder what other shocking cases of cruelty and negligence we have yet to find." Among the other evidence of cruelty discovered in the search is a white female cat named "Kit-Kat." Veterinarians discovered her in severe distress with large, painful moth ulcers. Her chart showed that she hadn’t eaten anything since Nov. 20, and very little since Nov. 8, and had never received any pain medication. In addition, her veterinarian records had not been updated in 10 days. Since the search warrant was executed at 3 p.m. on Thursday, five animals have been humanely euthanized because of extreme distress of injury or terminal illness. Over 1,000 animals are currently housed at the THS. "The decision to euthanize any animal is made on a case-by-case basis based on the medical expertise of our team of veterinarians," said Mr. Strooband. "To let an animal suffer needless pain when they are going to die anyway is cruel." The Toronto Humane Society will remain closed to the public until Tuesday, Dec. 1. If the public needs to seek emergency care for a vulnerable animal, they can take it to one of four Toronto Animal Services centres in Toronto: 146 The East Mall 140 Princes' Boulevard (Exhibition Place) 1300 Sheppard Avenue West (at Keele Street) 821 Progress Avenue ((Highway 401 and Markham Road) Toronto Animal Services can also be reached at 416-338-7297. "Toronto Animal Services has been extremely helpful. They are supporting us with additional staff and supplies to help care for the animals at THS," said Ms. MacDonald. "We'd like to thank them for their tremendous support through this difficult time." ## For more information contact: Rosaline Ryan Kevin Strooband Christopher Avery About the Ontario SPCA The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Ontario SPCA): Protecting
animals since 1873, the Ontario SPCA is a registered charity comprised of over 50 Communities
relying primarily on donations to fund animal protection, care and rehabilitation; advocacy;
and humane education. The Ontario SPCA Act mandates the Society to enforce animal cruelty laws
and provides Society investigators with police powers to do so - making the Ontario SPCA unique
among animal welfare organizations in the province. The Ontario SPCA is a member of the Canadian
Federation of Humane Societies, the World Society for the Protection of Animals, and is affiliated
with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. |
The cat's name was "Casper" and it had been dead for at least on year.