http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2009/04/01/8957591-sun.html
News Toronto & GTA
Humane Society says city has euthanized 25,000 animals in only 5 years
By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 1st April 2009, 8:19am
The Toronto Humane Society is howling mad that the taxpayer-funded Toronto Animal Services euthanized 25,000 dogs and cats in just five years.
Figures the society obtained through Freedom of Information requests and obtained exclusively by the Sun show that 25,003 dogs and cats were euthanized by the city's animal services between 2002 and 2007, the most recent years data is available.
"These statistics are appalling and heartbreaking," Humane Society spokesman Ian McConachie told the Sun yesterday.
"People in Toronto love animals ... I don't think they realize what their city and their politicians are doing."
The society is launching a call to action today, appealing for residents to push city officials to ensure animal services -- which received $54.5 million in taxpayer money between 2003 to 2008 -- euthanizes only when it's the humane option.
"Hopefully people will call their city councillor and say, 'I'm a cat lover or a dog lover and I don't want my tax dollars going towards killing animals,' " McConachie said.
The Humane Society's plea comes just days after city Councillor Sandra Bussin brokered a deal with Ontario Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield to relocate rather than kill a chihuahua-killing coyote or coyotes out of the Beach.
Bussin stepped in after residents circulated a petition demanding the wild coyote be relocated rather than euthanized.
Now taxpayers are on the hook for the trapping and relocation -- an operation officials haven't put a price tag on yet.
In 2007, the combined euthanasia rate for animal services was 55% -- 4,130 cats were killed out of 6,284 admitted and 837 dogs were killed out of 2,707 admitted.
By compariso, the privately funded Toronto Humane Society shelter only euthanized 7% of the pets admitted in 2007.
"When we make the choice to euthanize, it's because the animal is sick," McConachie said.
Since 2005, the euthanasia rate for cats and dogs admitted to animal services has stayed above 50%.
The euthanasia rate has been on the rise since 2002. At that time, animal services took in 9,584 cats and dogs but only euthanized 45% of them. That same year the humane society euthanized 18% of the pets it took in.
Calls to animal services officials were not returned yesterday.