Akeeter
September 25th, 2004, 08:26 PM
In this case, i have to go along with the permanent staff, & several Vets at Toronto Humane Society who felt that Bandit was a danger to the public. That & the fact that the 300 stitches to the 3 yr. old were his second bite on a child, not his first.
(For what it's worth, Bandit has been labelled as a Labrador X Pit bull, or sometimes LabX Staffy. -?)
__________________________________________________ _______________
TODAY'S PAPER: Globe & mail
Humane Society fires worker who spoke out about Bandit
Man earlier said pit bull that bit boy was a 'loaded gun waiting to
go off'
By PETER CHENEY
Saturday, September 25, 2004 - Page A12
The Toronto Humane Society has fired an employee who went public with
his concerns about aggressive dogs being offered up for adoption.
Al Wright, 47, was dismissed late yesterday after being told that his
actions had violated the Humane Society's policies and compromised
its ability to protect animals. Mr. Wright's firing marks the latest
round in a months-long war between THS management and rank-and-file
workers who oppose its policies.
Mr. Wright, who earned $17 an hour as an animal-control officer, has
cast himself as a Jeffrey Wigand figure who has been persecuted for
blowing the whistle: "As far as I'm concerned, I was fired for
speaking the truth," Mr. Wright said yesterday after his firing. "And
I think the public deserved to have the truth."
Mr. Wright's battle with management went public this summer when he
spoke to the media about the Humane Society's handling of Bandit, a
pit bull who bit a three-year-old boy last year, leaving a wound that
required more than 200 stitches.
Humane Society president Tim Trow has steadfastly refused to
euthanize the dog, arguing that the society's job is to protect
animals, and that the attack on the boy should not be used to
characterize Bandit's behaviour. Mr. Wright made no secret of his
opposition to Mr. Trow's views: In an interview with The Globe and
Mail this year, he called Bandit "a loaded gun, waiting to go off."
The Bandit case has become something of a cause célèbre, highlighting
the delicate balance the THS must strike between the rights of
animals and the humans that surround them. After the THS refused to
euthanize Bandit, Toronto officials took the matter to court, asking
a judge to order the dog destroyed. A decision is expected on Oct. 15.
After the Bandit case hit the newspapers, Mr. Wright went public with
internal THS records indicating that veterinarians had assessed the
dog as aggressive and ill-suited for adoption. Mr. Wright has said
repeatedly that under Mr. Trow, the Humane Society has lost its
perspective.
Other THS workers have echoed Mr. Wright's concerns. One described
the mood inside the facility as one of conflict between upper
management and the workers who care for animals every day.
Yesterday, Mr. Wright defended his right to go public: "There's no
reason why I shouldn't speak," he said. "There has been blatant
disregard for public safety."
Mr. Trow and THS managers did not return phone calls requesting
comment on Mr. Wright's firing. In his termination letter, Mr. Wright
was told that his behaviour had hurt the THS, and could not be
tolerated.
Mr. Wright had worked at the Humane Society for 11 years.
(For what it's worth, Bandit has been labelled as a Labrador X Pit bull, or sometimes LabX Staffy. -?)
__________________________________________________ _______________
TODAY'S PAPER: Globe & mail
Humane Society fires worker who spoke out about Bandit
Man earlier said pit bull that bit boy was a 'loaded gun waiting to
go off'
By PETER CHENEY
Saturday, September 25, 2004 - Page A12
The Toronto Humane Society has fired an employee who went public with
his concerns about aggressive dogs being offered up for adoption.
Al Wright, 47, was dismissed late yesterday after being told that his
actions had violated the Humane Society's policies and compromised
its ability to protect animals. Mr. Wright's firing marks the latest
round in a months-long war between THS management and rank-and-file
workers who oppose its policies.
Mr. Wright, who earned $17 an hour as an animal-control officer, has
cast himself as a Jeffrey Wigand figure who has been persecuted for
blowing the whistle: "As far as I'm concerned, I was fired for
speaking the truth," Mr. Wright said yesterday after his firing. "And
I think the public deserved to have the truth."
Mr. Wright's battle with management went public this summer when he
spoke to the media about the Humane Society's handling of Bandit, a
pit bull who bit a three-year-old boy last year, leaving a wound that
required more than 200 stitches.
Humane Society president Tim Trow has steadfastly refused to
euthanize the dog, arguing that the society's job is to protect
animals, and that the attack on the boy should not be used to
characterize Bandit's behaviour. Mr. Wright made no secret of his
opposition to Mr. Trow's views: In an interview with The Globe and
Mail this year, he called Bandit "a loaded gun, waiting to go off."
The Bandit case has become something of a cause célèbre, highlighting
the delicate balance the THS must strike between the rights of
animals and the humans that surround them. After the THS refused to
euthanize Bandit, Toronto officials took the matter to court, asking
a judge to order the dog destroyed. A decision is expected on Oct. 15.
After the Bandit case hit the newspapers, Mr. Wright went public with
internal THS records indicating that veterinarians had assessed the
dog as aggressive and ill-suited for adoption. Mr. Wright has said
repeatedly that under Mr. Trow, the Humane Society has lost its
perspective.
Other THS workers have echoed Mr. Wright's concerns. One described
the mood inside the facility as one of conflict between upper
management and the workers who care for animals every day.
Yesterday, Mr. Wright defended his right to go public: "There's no
reason why I shouldn't speak," he said. "There has been blatant
disregard for public safety."
Mr. Trow and THS managers did not return phone calls requesting
comment on Mr. Wright's firing. In his termination letter, Mr. Wright
was told that his behaviour had hurt the THS, and could not be
tolerated.
Mr. Wright had worked at the Humane Society for 11 years.