Critter Chatter

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Dear Critter Chatter,

Is it true that council is considering budget cuts that would affect injured wildlife? I also heard that if the proposed budget goes through, people who can't keep their dogs and cats would be turned away from the Toronto Animal Services shelters. While I agree that the city needs to take a good look at the way they spend our money, surely they aren't going to let animals suffer.

Mirror reader

Dear Reader,

There are indeed budget cuts on the table regarding Toronto's animals and how they will be cared for. The proposal is not coming from Toronto animal services but from Toronto public health, which oversees animal services.

Toronto public health's 2008 operating budget request is proposing that animal services "cease field service response to injured or distressed wildlife." This translates to about 4,500 sick, injured or distressed urban wildlife that will be left on the streets. The document essentially says that the Toronto Wildlife Centre, located in Downsview Park in North York, and the Toronto Humane Society, can pick up the slack.

Both organizations are charitable and receive no government funding so I can only assume the city wants someone to do the job for free. Someone at city hall hasn't done their homework. While both the wildlife centre and humane society offer wildlife rehabilitation and care, their field service response is limited. This means that if you can get the raccoon that was hit by a car, the skunk that is stuck in your compost box or the deer caught in your fence to their facilities, the animals will be cared for.

This coming from public health is just a tad frightening given their first priority should be, well, public health and safety. But wait, there's a backup plan. You can call a private wildlife removal service. The proposal suggests "private service providers are available that will respond to wildlife service requests for a fee payable by the resident."

Bottom line: you can either call someone to come and you pay them, you can help the distressed animal yourself or you can leave the distressed animal to suffer or die.

Regarding dogs and cats, the document reads "Cease pet owner surrender services."

Animal services admits about 4,300 owner-surrendered pets into their shelters each year; dogs, cats, rabbits and small rodents. The proposal reads "If this service is withdrawn, we expect up to two-thirds (about 2,800) of these animals will still be brought to Toronto animal services as strays."

Does that mean people are expected to turn their pets loose on the streets with the abandoned pets miraculously finding their way to shelter and safety?

According to the budget proposal "the cost savings resulting from this service reduction are based on decreased animal intake and sheltering of (about) 1,500 animals annually."

Sorry, now I have missed something - where do these animals end up? I will assume the answer would be shelters outside of Toronto or on the streets of another city or town, taken in by other municipalities that actually care and appropriately budget for the animals in their jurisdiction.

So the short answer to your question, dear reader, is that if this budget goes through, I have no doubt many animals will suffer. If you are concerned about these proposed budget cuts, let your city councillor know. Visit www.toronto.ca for councillors information.