Toronto Humane Society Protest

A year ago I volunteered for 6 months at the Toronto Humane Society. My goals were to take great photos of the animals for the adoptions page on the website and document the daily goings on at the shelter. I can't speak for anyone else's experience at the Toronto Humane Society but here is what I witnessed in my 6 months of volunteering. Dogs laying in excrement and vomit all day. Dogs that hadn't been taken outside before 3pm. Dogs only getting taken out for 10 minutes a day. Memo boards with 20+ notices often with contradictory directions on animal care. No control over illness that would run rampant through the shelter. Animals being fed expired food. Enclosures with no history of the animal's temperment or health issues posted. People waiting sometimes for 3 hours just to see an adoption agent about a dog.

One day while taking a photo of the kitten nursery I was told by a manager to leave the property and if I ever returned I would be physically removed. In retrospect I realize I was wearing my local newspaper's media t-shirt that day and wonder if this influenced his decision to terminate my free professional services.

Now a large group of former volunteers, employees, animal advocates and concerned citizens have rallied to bring attention to neglect and unethical practices at the THS. They charge that animals are left to sit in their own excrement for hours on end. Much needed funds go to litigation rather than animal care, and critically ill animals are left to die in cages when euthanasia could have humanely ended their suffering. The demonstrators are calling for the removal of president Tim Trow who has claimed all accusations to be false.

At the end of the rally, protestors gathered together their donations of food, toys and blankets for the shelter animals.