Grey federation forms committee to study OSPCA proposed pullout

Friday, April 5, 2013

by SUSAN MANN

The Grey Federation of Agriculture has formed a four-person committee to study plans by the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to close its rented office in Hanover and withdraw its services from Grey and Bruce counties.

Grey federation president Wayne Balon says they’re compiling a resource list to help the municipalities if animal welfare services are downloaded to municipal bylaw enforcement officers or the Ontario Provincial Police.

The OSPCA said earlier this year it was closing the rented Hanover office by March 1. Two agents work out of the office. But then the agency postponed the closure until June 1 to give it time to discuss a fee-for-service arrangement with area municipalities.

The Grey federation resource list of people knowledgeable about various animals will be available if bylaw or police officers need to respond to animal welfare calls. For example, a beef person will be available for beef cattle calls, while a sheep person will be on the list for calls dealing with those animals. “They (police or bylaw officers) have somebody else they can call if it’s more than what they think they can handle,” Balon says.

The people on the list will know “what cattle or sheep should look like or if they’re being mistreated,” he notes.

Balon says it isn’t clear if the OSPCA will actually close its office by June 1 but the Grey federation still wanted to have an alternative plan in place that can be used if it’s needed. BF