OSPCA ringworm infestation gone bad

Well, the walkathon this weekend is postponed, according to Dad.  Dad says the OSPCA is killing all the animals infested with ringworm.  “Friends for Life” is what the OSPCA has on their website.  Guess friends turn their backs when the going gets tough.  I’m no expert on ringworms but I hear it’s curable.  Just like when I had roundworms, I took some pills and after 2 weeks I was better.  So why can’t my friends at the OSPCA get treated? 

So how did it spread to over 350 animals?  Shouldn’t there be some quarantine or something. How does the infestation grow to 350?  I wonder.  Doesn’t the OSPCA have protocol in situations like this?  6 humans also are infected I hear so the solution is the eradicate the diseased animals.  That’s their unanimous decision. 

I suspect it’s cheaper to euthanize all cats and dogs rather than treat them.  One pink needle and couple seconds later, see you in rainbow bridge.  Now how are they going to dispose of the dead bodies?  Isn’t this also a great way to free up some cage space at the OSPCA?

But then again, look at it from the OSPCA side.  Animals get dropped in a box at their front door and what are they suppose to do?  People are protesting, “stop the killing, stop the massacre” but really, these animals ended up there because of their human owner.  Of course not all ended up here this way, but I would imagine a lot have just speaking from experience.  The OSPCA is like the Salvation Army, it’s a place to get rid of unwanted stuff.  I still don’t agree to the killings.  Even prisoners of the most heinous crimes don’t get executed here in Canada.  They get 3 meals a day.  Why do the animals have to be killed?

Brix

Ringworm dooms 350 animals at York OSPCA

Fuck.

From The Star, OSPCA to euthanize 350 animals at York Region shelter:

Approximately 350 dogs, cats, rats and other small animals – will be put down over the next two or three days after an attempt to contain the fungal infection failed, said the society’s chief executive officer Kate MacDonald.

And …

As police and security guards monitored the scene, allowing only OSPCA personnel through Monday night, MacDonald confirmed Newmarket shelter manager Denise Stephenson was fired 10 days ago. “It was due to protocols breaking down,” she said when asked if Stephenson was fired because of the outbreak. “An outbreak like this is containable when protocols are followed.

And from CBC News, York shelter to euthanize hundreds of animals:

An OSPCA official said the fact that the ringworm had spread to rabbits was of particular concern. The official said it meant the ringworm was jumping to species not normally susceptible to the disease. There was also concern the ringworm could be passed to humans.

And from The Sun, Ringworm forces killing of 350 animals:

OSPCA spokesman Rosaline Ryan told the Sun Monday night that the animals — including 60 dogs — “need to be humanely euthanized,” after ringworm tore through the Woodbine Ave. shelter. Two turtles are the only creatures that won’t be put down, she said.

Continued here.

OSPCA euthanizes 350 pets: Newmarket

More than 350 animals will be euthanized at the Newmarket OSPCA because of a ringworm epidemic, angering animal advocates who argue the pets’ lives could be saved.

Officials with the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said protocols broke down and led to the rapid spread of ringworm among the shelter’s animals; as a result, one staff member has reportedly been fired.

The shelter began putting the animals down on Tuesday as protesters gathered outside.

Ringworm is a highly contagious fugal infection and the infestation requires drastic action, according to Rosaline Ryan, a spokeswoman for the OSPCA.

“In this shelter, where animals live in close proximity, the extent to which it has reached the animal population and the aggressive strain of this particular ringworm has us looking at it as an epidemic,” Ms. Ryan said.

The infection has already spread to six staff members at the shelter so the decision to euthanize the animals has led to more general concerns. “It’s a public safety concern for us so we have shut down the shelter and the vets who make medical decisions have decided that euthanasia is the best approach,” she said.

Staff have unsuccessfully attempted to eliminate the infection, according to reports.  Dogs and cats will be the main victims but all other animals within the shelter — except turtles — are going to be put down. The Newmarket branch of the shelter will remain closed until further notice.

Ringworm is a fungal infection that can also affect humans.Media reports say security guards have been posted at the site to prevent anyone from trying to rescue the animals. All adoption and foster services are unavailable until the premises have been thoroughly cleansed and sanitized of ringworm.

Bob Hambley, president of the beleaguered Toronto Humane Society, released a statement criticizing the shelter’s decision to put the animals down, arguing the epidemic is indeed treatable:

“This type of action to respond to a treatable condition such as ringworm is unprecedented. The OSPCA is taking the easy solution rather than working to save animals lives.

The OSPCA needs to reconsider this solution and consult with outside experts to look at treatment alternatives to save these animals lives.”