Brendan Kennedy
Staff Reporter
The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will not go ahead with plans to kill all of the ringworm-infected animals at its Newmarket shelter, a local MPP said Thursday.

The reversal comes after widespread criticism of the decision, announced earlier this week, to euthanize all of the shelter’s nearly 350 animals in an attempt to contain the ringworm outbreak, which also affected six staff members.

According to Newmarket MPP Frank Klees, 99 animals had already been euthanized when the OSPCA decided to halt the killing.

Klees said another 96 animals had been placed in foster homes, where they will be tested and treated, and 140 remain at the shelter, awaiting further testing and treatment.

Animals will now be looked at individually to determine whether or not euthanasia is required, Klees said.

OSPCA officials could not be reached Thursday morning for comment.

The OSPCA’s about-face comes after heated protests outside its Newmarket shelter, where OSPCA volunteers, donors and other protestors openly wept and shouted “Murderers!” at the organization’s staff.

“Over time, public opinion took over, very clearly,” Klees said Thursday morning.

OSPCA CEO Kate MacDonald says on the organization’s website that it has been dealing with the situation since February.

But according to shelter insiders, the outbreak really began in early April, after staff found a cat, believed to be a long-haired Himalayan, with bald patches and scaly skin.

The animal was put into isolation, the former employee said, and staff tried to disinfect the building with a bleach solution and a fungicide. Meanwhile, all the animals were treated with a specialized dip. Several animals with severe lesions were put down in an attempt to curb the growing epidemic, but the infection continued to spread.

Klees said the OSPCA’s decision came after a phone conversation he had with OSPCA chairman Rob Godfrey on Wednesday night.

“I expressed to Rob that I believe it would be in the best interest of the OSPCA to bring an end to this euthanasia plan,” Klees said, refusing to discuss the details of the conversation.