Right thing

An Q+A based on Thursday’s news conference conducted by Rob Godfrey and Kate MacDonald.

How will the OSPCA respond to the dog thefts?

MacDonald said the thefts, which occurred between Monday evening and Tuesday morning, were motivated by a “panicked” desire “to do the right thing.” Nonetheless, staff members found to have stolen dogs could be fired, MacDonald said.

Outcry heard

There’s “reason for hope” for animals that remain in Newmarket.

. . . the “aggressive strain” of ringworm was “not without its casualties,” Godfrey said, confirming that 99 animals had been killed since Tuesday morning.

He also said 15 animals had been stolen from the facility, likely by staff or volunteers who feared for the animals’ safety.

Turned tables

The more things change…

Now, as the THS approaches a board election in which both competing candidate slates promise a clean break from the troubles of the past, the OSPCA’s building is the site of emotional protests.

That the public outcry targets the OSPCA is a change. That it was prompted by a euthanasia decision is not. Euthanasia policy, always the most contentious issue related to animal shelters, was the primary substantive disagreement underpinning the OSPCA-THS dispute during the tenure of controversial former THS president Tim Trow.