idiot rottie owner in toronto

[hokisteph5]

Originally Posted by Marcino

Please take a minute or two to show your support by posting your comments. If you do, please add your location to your post just to show that this story was heard across the border.

I've submitted a post of support. It's waiting to be reviewed by an editor. I'll just never understand society sometimes.

[Rene Allegrini]

I emailed Hugh Coghill, Chief Inspector, Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and he replied the next day. His response was polite, courteous, and reasonable.

He commented that Officer Smith acted appropriately and under the authority of the Ontario SPCA Act when rescuing Cyrus. It is Officer Smith's subsequent actions to the rescue that is being reviewed.

Once all the information is collected and reviewed, it will then be determined what, if any, further action is needed.

[Marcino]

What subsequent actions? It isn't really clearly defined what he did wrong.
Was it the handcuffing the jerk part?

[Dimitri]

I believe it was the part that he handcuff the jerk to his car which resulted in an alleged assault of the same jerk by bystanders while he was handcuffed to the car.

[BandTan]

I've been following this closely, there is a Rally in Toronto in support of this officer tomorrow, Wed. Aug. 16th, 2007. If anyone saw the dog when it was pulled out the car... GRRRRRRRR... they would have given that stupid owner a shot in the face too. I couldn't watch, it was so frightening.

Here's a link with the latest news and a GREAT video of Cyrus today! He looks so much better, gorgeous and so sweet!

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_13779.aspx

[groupieindenial]

Follow up story.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Canad...article/228508

Dog hero suspended for cuffing owner to vehicle

CANADIAN PRESS
Toronto Humane Society officer Tre Smith, shown Saturday holding a Rottweiler he rescued, is being called a hero. However, his decision to handcuff the dog's owner to the vehicle and leave the man to fend for himself is why his conduct is under review.

Toronto Humane Society officer Tre Smith, shown Saturday holding a Rottweiler he rescued, is being called a hero. However, his decision to handcuff the dog's owner to the vehicle and leave the man to fend for himself is why his conduct is under review.

Toronto Humane Society officer Tre Smith, shown Saturday holding a Rottweiler he rescued, is being called a hero. However, his decision to handcuff the dog's owner to the vehicle and leave the man to fend for himself is why his conduct is under review.

Animal-rights supporters are set to rally today in support of an animal abuse investigator who was suspended for allegedly handcuffing the owner of a suffering dog to the door of his own SUV.

Toronto Humane Society officer Tre Smith was suspended from active duty by the Ontario Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after the unconventional rescue of Cyrus, a 50-kilogram Rottweiler.

The society received a report the dog was locked in a sweltering car. When he arrived at the scene, Smith said Cyrus was foaming at the mouth and appeared to be close to death.

He smashed a window of the vehicle and began to resuscitate the dog, but Smith said he was soon confronted by the dog's owner, who was acting aggressively.

"I was faced with a tough situation,'' Smith said. "Does this dog die in my arms while I wait for the authorities? Or do I rush this dog to the humane society and get the medical attention he needs to save his life?''

Smith handcuffed Cyrus's owner to the vehicle and left with the near-comatose dog. He was later told the man had been beaten by the crowd and was bleeding when police arrived.

As a result, the officer is no longer allowed to work on the front lines of animal rescue while the incident is being investigated.

The suspension has sparked public outcry, including plans for a rally today and an Internet support group of more than 2,500 people on the popular networking website Facebook.

The group is calling on Monte Kwinter, Ontario's minister of community safety and correctional services, to clear Smith's name and make abuse laws more strict.

The rally is set to get underway at a downtown Toronto park before travelling to meet Smith at the Toronto Humane Society. From there, the group will slowly drive to the Newmarket offices of the Ontario Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

[Dimitri]

I'm going to go on a limb here and say that he did go a bit too far. I could understand that he had to restrain the person in question so he could do his work and save the dog's life, but once he had the dog in his vehicle, agent Tre should of taken a moment to remove the handcuffs from the jerk. he already has his license plate and witness statements which would have been more than enough to convict the jerk.

[SWEETBREW]

He actually was suspended because he hasn't handed in his paperwork for this rescue yet. Once he does that, he should be back on staff full-time again.

[Dimitri]

to be honest, after reading all the reports this morning I'm rather curious as to why he didn't file the reports as he should have. regardless, he is still on the THS payroll doing admin work ...

[Marcino]

Wow... there is one group on FaceBook entitled "Supporters of Animal Cruelty Investigator Tre Smith " that has 8,600 members. There are quite a few more that have several hundred members as well. I really wish I lived closer to Toronto so I could go out and protest as well :(

[Dimitri]

Actually I can't believe the public is so naive to see that this is just another political battle between the Ontario SPCA and the THS. these two groups have been butting heads with each other over the longest time. In more recent memory there was the case that the SPCA was investigating the THS when the THS union workers were on strike, then there was the case of the parrot which the THS lost custody of the animal as well as the right to make inspections on the animal. the biggest case was when the THS tried to enforce their own animal cruelty agents. I regret to say the THS is a rogue shelter that is causing this whole turmoil and playing into recent public outcry over an animal and using it to meet its own political gains.