Rash of dog poisonings in Canada
Wheat bread soaked in antifreeze is suspected as the culprit in a rash of poisonings that has left two dogs dead and four sickened in Toronto's High Park.
One of the dogs that died had eaten the bread, while the other may have licked water from a communal bucket that may have been laced with the sweet-tasting chemical, the Toronto Star reports today.
Dog Hill, the park's off-leash zone, remained cordoned off by yellow police tape yesterday, and police had few comments.
But John Cleary, a member of the High Park off-leash review committee, suspects that someone had soaked whole wheat bread with a chemical believed to be auto antifreeze -- and that the intended victims might have been raccoons instead of dogs.
Cleary told the newspaper he discovered one of the dead raccoons Monday. Others were found up to a year ago, one holding a bouquet of flowers and another posed with a squirrel.
The poisonings prompted Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty to make this comment:
"Maybe it's hard for folks to understand who haven't had a pet but you can't avoid it -- they soon enough become a member of your family.
"This is very difficult for families to cope with and there's something fundamentally wrong with society if you can't take your family pet for a walk in a public park and not be concerned about somehow endangering your pet."
Comments
[quote]The poisonings prompted Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty to make this comment:
"Maybe it's hard for folks to understand who haven't had a pet but you can't avoid it -- they soon enough become a member of your family.
"This is very difficult for families to cope with and there's something fundamentally wrong with society if you can't take your family pet for a walk in a public park and not be concerned about somehow endangering your pet." [/quote]
Wow
Talk about a hypocrite.
He`s responsible for slaughtering thousands of innocent Pit Type dogs and look-a-likes in Ontario Canada for no reason other than their looks.
How dare he speak up about these poisonings.
Bread soaked with Anti freeze is bad.
Syringe with kill juice is ok.
Hope you choke on your words Mr Premier.
The world knows the truth about you.
You`re not fooling anyone.
Posted by: MG | June 26, 2008 4:23 PM
MG, I sympathize so profoundly with what you are saying!! If you're a Canadian, have you thought about writing to him directly and saying exactly the same thing? Putting it in this context of a random animal killer on the loose gives your message a lot more "punch." I sincerely hope you aren't one of those who has lost a much-loved pet to the breed-specific legislation. If you are, I am so very sorry.
Posted by: Anne | June 26, 2008 9:52 PM
Not Canadian but outraged non the less by this guy and what his Gov`t is doing.
I know many Canadians impacted by this law (breed specific legislation) and fighting for their dogs.
I hope the rest of the world gets outraged and forces change by boycotting the Province of Ontario,Canada.
We can make a difference for their dogs.
I guess Dalton McGuinty feels he has the right to decide which dogs become family members and get to live.
I for one will never travel to or spend any money in Ontario,Canada.
Every dollar spent there is condoning what they`re doing.
People outside of Canada should tell him why his Province will be boycotted.
Here is his contact info
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_detail.do?locale=en&ID=66
Let`s all help Ontario dogs.
Maybe the World can impact Ontario financially and force change.
That applies elsewhere.
Don`t spend money in any jurisdiction with BSL.
Posted by: MG | June 29, 2008 10:38 AM
MG, we kind of are boycotting but not because we made a conscious decision. We've spent so many lovely, happy vacations in Canada, and Ontario is not but half a day's drive from here. You can be in the midst of pristine, natural beauty in a few hours, and we love to camp. Since Spencer arrived, we've been afraid to vacation in Ontario with him. He's quite obviously a purebred Beagle, and we certainly could get any vet to attest to that fact, but since he is a rescue, he has no "papers." My feeling was that all it would take would be some cop or official who got up on the wrong side of the bed, and . . . I can't tell the people in Ontario how to run their government, but Canada has other provinces that are dog-friendly as well as offering breathtaking vacations. We'll visit those or stay home, remembering to avoid dog-unfriendly jurisdictions here as well. I have fewer qualms about telling off various jurisdictions within my own home country.
Posted by: Anne | June 29, 2008 6:51 PM