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ART Press Conference

Wednesday Jun3/09 at 10am, ART held a Press Conference at the Offices of Miller Canfield LLP, 144 Front Street West, 4th Floor

ART was introduced by Arie Gaertner, Legal Spokesperson for the group.

“We are the Association for the Reform of the Toronto Humane Society, also known by the acronym ART.

Ms. Linda MacKinnon, Community Activist, current THS member in good standing and a passionate animal lover, is one of the founders of ART and sits to my right.

Ms. Judi King, Law Clerk, current THS member in good standing, volunteer dog walker and also passionate about animals, is one of the other founding members of ART; she sits to my left.

What all members of ART have in common is that they are animal lovers and, in one way or another were or still are closely connected to the THS. They include former THS veterinarians, former management personnel and former and current volunteers.

ART's agenda is simple and focused: it wishes to ensure that all animals at the THS receive the most humane treatment and care possible, be provided with a hygienic living environment, receive appropriate medical treatment by properly trained staff, be adopted out to appropriate homes and be euthanized if and when appropriate, based on decisions made by veterinarians without interference by management. ART also wishes to ensure that donor dollars are not misapplied for purposes unrelated to animal welfare.

We want it clearly understood that ART is NOT pursuing any political agenda; it does not want to take over the Toronto Humane Society nor does it hold any personal grudge against any current member of THS' board.

However, we are today calling upon THS' president, Mr. Tim Trow and the entire board of the THS to resign, effective immediately, pending the outcome of investigations currently carried out by the OSPCA and to be carried out by other regulatory bodies having jurisdiction. We note that Mr. Trow had voluntarily resigned as President of the Toronto Humane Society once before, back in 1984, following a 1983 investigation by a three-member committee into allegations of animal neglect and other wrongdoings by the Toronto Humane Society.

If Mr. Trow or the other members of THS' board refuse to resign, we urge the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee for Ontario to intervene and take the requisite steps to ensure that the express objects of the THS will be carried out. If necessary, we ask the Public Guardian and Trustee to freeze the assets of the THS to prevent donor dollars to be used for what may be protracted litigation over who has the right to run the THS.

Written submissions had been made in the recent past to both the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee and Canada Revenue Agency. We hope that the appropriate investigations will be instigated, just as was done yesterday when the OSPCA executed a search warrant at the Toronto Humane Society.”