In their attempt to help a litter of puppies left unattended for several days in a hot townhouse apartment last week, desperate neighbours found themselves confused about just who they were supposed to call.
That's because, they told NorthernLife.ca this week, different agencies gave them conflicting instructions about who was responsible for assisting the eight animals, left alone in an apartment with minimal water and food during the recent heat wave.
Chantal St. Amour was visiting with a neighbour and said the odour of feces wafted strongly outside the apartment door.
“We called animal control, the SPCA, the police ... and everybody keeps giving us hoopla,” said St. Amour. “Telling us, ‘We can’t deal with this,’ and that we have to call this person or that person and that we have to wait 24 hours to go and get these dogs.
“If it was a dog in a car for 10 minutes someone would get charged for it, but these animals are allowed to be in a closed-up house with 40-degree weather outside, no food, no water and that’s ok?
“I am appalled.”
Rob Kaelas, Sudbury and District branch manager from The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA), said the public can be confused about who they are supposed to call, because the appropriate responder — whether that is Rainbow Animal Control, the OSPCA or the police — depends upon the situation.
"Your first call should always be to the OSPCA," Kaelas said. "But we are a charity and we only have a couple of investigators that are in the area and sometimes we just can't get there."
If you witness an animal being abused, neglected or abandoned:
Phone the OSPCA at 705-566-9582, Mon-Fri 11 am-5 pm, Sat 11 am-4 pm.
If it's after hours, phone the Greater Sudbury Police at 705-675-9171. When contacted by Northern Life, Const. Meghan O'Malley said people should not dial 911, but the general switchboard.
The OSPCA prioritizes cases based on severity and an investigator is sent to the scene. Depending on the situation the investigator may leave a notice for the owner to contact the organization within a set time period. In more severe cases, the investigator may request police assistance and take immediate action.
If you find an animal running around loose, being a nuisance or left tied-up in a public place (ie at a shopping centre):
Phone the Rainbow District Animal Control and Shelter Services at 705-673-3647 (DOGS), Mon-Sun 8:30 am-6 pm.
Animal Control cannot enter or remove an animal from a private residence at any time. They deal with stray or nuisance animals in public places.
If you find an animal locked in a hot car or house for a prolonged period of time without water:
Phone the Greater Sudbury Police at the general switchboard 705-675-9171.
As for the litter of puppies, St. Amour said the owner of the dogs has since returned home and all the animals seem to be fine.
