The Rural Voice, 1990-02, Page 42NEW HUMANE SOCIETY
GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS
Ontario Humane Society By -Law No. One:
"The objects of this Society are to prevent cruelty to and
encourage consideration for animals, birds and fish:
• by encouraging and assisting in the enforcement of all
laws which are now, or may hereafter be, enacted for the
protection of animals, birds and fish and securing by
lawful means the prosecution of all persons violating
such laws;
• by fostering the formation of local societies through-
out the Province to pursue these same ends in their
respective areas;
• by procuring further legislation for the protection of
animals, birds and fish;
• and by means of li terature, addresses and other forms
of publicity to create and sustain a general interest in
animal welfare.
The "Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals" has had a
rather tumultuous history in the
counties of Grey and Bruce, but the
new Grey -Bruce Humane Society
appears to have built itself a solid
base.
Donna Vanderham of R. R. 1,
Holland Centre, president of the
Grey -Bruce organization, says that
community support for the society is
strong, incorporation is pending, and a
formal application for affiliation with
the Ontario Humane Society will
follow.
Becoming an affiliate of the
Ontario Humane Society will mean
that the Grey -Bruce society will be
responsible for all of its own fund-
raising and borrowing. An early
project will be establishing an animal
shelter, either in an existing building
or a new one.
Vanderham says Grey -Bruce
is applying for affiliation rather than
to become a branch of the Ontario
society. A branch of the Ontario
Humane Society has any loans guar-
anteed by the umbrella organization,
but any shelter built would also belong
to the provincial organization. An
1 44010
Donna Vanderham is president of the Grey -Bruce
Humane Society. Farmers, she says, need the society to
help them "look after their own."
affiliate, on the other hand, retains
ownership over its shelter.
The first priority, however, says
Vanderham, is to get Humane Society
agents in the field. The Grey -Bruce
society hopes to have 20 agents cov-
ering each area of the counties. Their
work will be done on a part-time
volunteer basis.
The local society will soon be
approaching the townships in its area
seeking financial support, Vanderham
says. In return, it offers the counties
an organization that will respond to
complaints about cruelty to animals
and that will grapple with the too -
common problem of wild dogs
threatening livestock.
The annual meeting of the society,
which now has about 400 members
who have paid $5 each, will be held
February 5 at the Sullivan School
north of Desboro, at 8 p.m. The
public is welcome.
"The biggest need," Vanderham
says about the formation of the soci-
ety, "was that people have something
in place in their own area to actually
look after their own."
The agricultural community,
she adds, was particularly concerned
about the issue of animal welfare.
"They want to be involved in their
own destiny."
There are some "bad apples,"
Vanderham says. "But any good
farmer," she adds, "would tell you
that he wouldn't mistreat an animal
because that's his bread and butter."
The controversy that has plagued
the formation of the society in Grey
and Bruce has to do with the issue of
trapping. The Grey -Bruce society
exists through a warrant issued by the
Ontario Humane Society, a warrant
that can be withdrawn at any time.
A local humane society organized in
1986 was disbanded because of the
presence of trappers on the board.
After some controversy, it was
established that Ontario Humane
Society policy allows trappers to serve
on a Humane Society board, but not
on the executive.
Bryan Denham, executive director
of the Ontario Humane Society, says
trappers are allowed on society boards
only "by default," because the policy
is that no trappers can serve on the
executive.
"The use of the leg -hold trap is
really what we're concerned about,"
FEBRUARY 1990 39