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Local OSPCA seizes 71 dogs, then demands $65,000 to return them

Somya was beaten within an inch of her life. Ultimately lost an eye, but recovered. The dog is an example of one of the family pets adopted by the Ashworth family. She was rescued by a Thai organization.

Somya was beaten within an inch of her life. Ultimately lost an eye, but recovered. The dog is an example of one of the family pets adopted by the Ashworth family. She was rescued by a Thai organization. It shows the cruelty that many dogs face intenationally and is what prompted Randy and Rebecca Ashworth to found a no borders rescue, the Laika Fund for Street Dogs. Submitted photo. 

The local OSPCA (Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) that seized 71 dogs from a 12 acre pet rescue farm in Trout Creek last month is now demanding over $65,000 (rising by $2,000 per day) from the owners to have them returned.

See original story, Animals seized from North Bay area property 

http://www.baytoday.ca/content/news/details.asp?c=81209

That has the owner of the Laika Fund for Street Dogs, Rebecca Ashworth in tears, wondering why the Society took the dogs, and how she'll ever raise that huge sum of money to get them back.

The Laika Fund travels to many countries rescuing dogs, many of which have been tortured and maimed, eyes poked out or limbs cut off.

"We have a great love for dogs and the love and loyalty they have. To us a life is a life --- we have no borders, so a dog that is needing rescuing in Romania is no different from a dog that needs rescuing in Canada. We try to do local rescue as well."

Rebecca's husband Randy once saved a dog cut up by razor wire at a military base in Sudan that was about to be eaten by a Nigerian soldier, and brought the dog back to Canada.

Randy served 22 years in the military, part of that as a weapons land technician in places like Sudan and Afghanistan.

"Our dogs have had horrible injuries and disfigurements that no-one else is going to want," Rebecca Ashworth told BayToday.

"A high proportion of the dogs we bring have something wrong with them. We have a lot of three legged dogs, one eyed dogs, and even a two legged dog that came recently from Albania."

The Ashworth's had a wheel cart made so the dog named Angel could get around on its own. Photo by Jeff Turl.

"She's a lovely dog. She manages fine, eats well and plays with the other dogs.

"There are dogs we've seen with their eyes poked out, limbs cut off are common, tails are cut off. In some countries they intentionally cut off tails and ears just out of cruelty. And poisoning is very common in a lot of these countries.

"There are countries that have dog brothels. Bestiality is legal in a lot of countries. There's been issues with people collecting up hundreds of dogs in Romania and taking them out of the country for medical research in Germany, or for use in a brothel."

Now it's the Ashworths who need rescuing.

The Ashworths were shocked when eight members of the SPCA, an arm of the North Bay and District Humane Society, and two OPP officers, raided the farm.

"They told us health and environment concerns was the reason," says Rebecca. 

The number of animals was also a concern but Ashworth says that over half the dogs were waiting to be placed, that some had adopters to go to, and that the OSPCA prevented them from moving any dogs, including to a rescue that had offered to take 20 dogs per month.

"All the fosters would have been placed before the seizure, but the OSPCA blocked it", said Ashworth.

"Hero came recently from Egypt, and had a family to go to," says Rebecca Ashworth. "We took him and another dog to their adopters, but within a couple of hours, Hero pushed past someone at a gate, and got into the street and was hit by  a car. We spent the evening at a clinic in Mississauga, and it cost $800 for x rays, bloodwork and meds, but he was ok. The family were too afraid to try again, so he had to come home with us, and was taken along with the others in the seizure before we could find him another placement." Submitted photo.

The OSPCA had given the couple an order asking that eight specific animals be examined...one dog Sabour, had its snout and ears cut off in Iran.

See video of Sabour here. Warning disturbing images.

https://www.facebook.com/831919090192314/videos/vb.831919090192314/960739213976967/?type=2&theater

"Sabour had already been seen by our vet recently, so he (the vet) told them that. The others we took to the vet and he gave them his report on these dogs, one of which was a little paralyzed dog from Romania. The inspector who saw her on May 20th told my husband that in her opinion the dog should be euthanized. So our vet examined her in and out of her cart and said he didn't feel she was in any discomfort."

Ashworth was advised to use zinc cream and diaper the dog because of incontinence.

"Her morning routine was she would come out of her diaper, go out with the other dogs ---  dig holes, run all over, and do all the things the other dogs would do. She was very happy. Then she'd have a bath, she would get her zinc cream and her diaper on and get her feet bandaged for the day.

"In Romania, she had been dragging herself on gravel for weeks and had big open wounds on both her back feet. My husband asked our vet if we should have the legs amputated and was told it wasn't necessary.

"The day that they (OSPCA) took her, one foot was good and the other only had a small wound. She was up on the porch at eight in the morning and my husband wanted to do her morning care and they would not allow it. She was made to drag herself all over the porch for several hours. Her feet wounds had worn open and she had bleeding feet. There were blood streaks on the porch and they took to her to a clinic and said she was in terrible condition."

That despite the fact the Ashworth's own vet had seen the dog and said the dog was recovering nicely and not in distress.

"To take her and leave her on  porch for hours until her feet are worn open and bloody then take her and say this dog is in terrible condition, as far as I'm concerned, what they did was an act of cruelty."

Ashworth also says the dogs were all kept inside during the nine hour raid instead of being let out several times as would be normal.

"So what the dogs had to do, they had to do in the house. Two male dogs that get crated overnight weren't allowed outside so they were made to stay in their crates all day."

"They gave me a list of what they thought were health issues, and of 71 dogs they said four were thin."

The OSPCA also claimed one dog had a severe ear infection, something Ashworth says is suspicious as the dog had seen her own vet twice recently.

"The first thing my vet does when he puts the dog on the table is look at its ears. He always looks in the ears."

BayToday contacted Ontario SPCA inspector Nicole Driscoll for comment on the story, but she declined.

"As soon as we have an update that we are legally allowed to release we will provide it to you. Currently this is an ongoing investigation and all of the information is kept confidential."

Driscoll estimates it will be at least another two weeks before any more information is released from the SPCA.

Meanwhile public support for the Ashworth fight is growing.

A petition to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has been started and has already gathered over 1,000 names.

https://www.change.org/p/stop-abuse-of-power-by-ospca

And a Facebook page has been started.

Give back the dogs. Wrongful OSPCA Seizure of Pets and Rescue Fosters

https://www.facebook.com/GiveBackTheDogs?fref=ts

Ashworth says the SPCA wants the money to pay for veterinarian and boarding fees for the seized dogs. Her eyes tear up when she explains the couple has nowhere near the money to get the dogs back, not even enough to get the family pets back that were also seized.

Randy is retired and Rebecca is a support worker.

A Gofundme page, http://www.gofundme.com/9sa2a683bw was set up by a friend in the United States with a goal of getting at least some of the money needed, and so far has raised over $4,000 in just 10 days.

But that won't be near enough, as Ashworth says the OSPCA has given her until 4:30 today to meet a long list of conditions and come up with the cash before the society will inspect the farm and accept the payment.


Jeff Turl

About the Author: Jeff Turl

Jeff is a veteran of the news biz. He's spent a lengthy career in TV, radio, print and online, covering both news and sports. He enjoys free time riding motorcycles and spoiling grandchildren.
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