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Zombie was recently euthanized without his owner's knowledge or permission. It has sparked debate in the Health Unit's role in destroying dogs. File photo.
In response to Hilary Chambers, Dr. Jim Chirico, Medical officer of Health wrote "Dear Ms. Chambers, Thank you for expressing your concerns in your recent e-mail of April 27, 2015.
"The Board of Health and I do not share your sentiments or views on these matters. The Board of Health has recently affirmed publically that the Health Unit’s rabies control policies and procedures have been followed and are not in need of revision."
However, Chambers sounds frustrated by the response. In an email she wrote, "Sigh...never really read what I wrote. I never suggested changing the rabies policy."
Chambers did not receive a response from Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli, Parry Sound MPP Norm Miller, nor the North Bay district Humane Society.
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The involvement of the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit in a pair of dog stories is raising concern in the area's tourism industry.
Hilary Chambers, is the owner of Pine Grove Resort and Marketing Manager for the Loring-Restoule region www.loringrestoule.com. She is also on a number of tourism related boards including NOTO and Explorers Edge.
In an open letter to Dr. Jim Chirico, Medical officer of Health, Chambers, who has owned a resort in the region for over 40 years says she is increasingly concerned about the negative image of the area.
"There is strong concern and backlash over the way the North Bay Health Unit and The North Bay & District Humane Society have handled the issue of not only the Doberman Dunaj, but also Zombie. I have fielded calls from concerned tourists not sure if they should continue their vacation plans to the region based on recent events in North Bay. This is very worrisome to me, as our livelihood could potentially be impacted by the perception that the north is no longer a pet friendly place to visit. As chair of the marketing committee for our region, I work tirelessly so that guests to our region, find this a happy and engaging place to visit or move to," she says in her letter.
Chambers wants the organization to "revisit the policies and procedures that are currently in place that led to poor decisions and judgment in the two cases now involving the Health Unit".
"Our business depends on the tourists seeing our region as a friendly attractive place to vacation with their pet. As taxpayers we are appalled that our hard earned dollars are being used to fight against a dog owner, rather than to better the community.
"I am reaching out in the hopes that you are able to convince the North Bay Health Unit & the Humane Society along with partners in animal control (Powassan) to work for the betterment of our community by investigating how we can handle situations like this more positively in the future.
"The process should be open and transparent for all involved. It appears that there is an abuse of power in this situation and it is time someone stepped in to correct it, before the North Bay region is completely tarnished."
The letter has been copied to Parry Sound Muskoka MPP Norm Miller and Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli.
The Health Unit had no comment.
