Pet Saver Defends His Actions

[Nomad559]

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/245529

A pet detective who is temporarily suspended after rescuing a dog from a locked and overheated car says he was just doing what his mandate asks him to do – save animals' lives.

Tre Smith, an animal cruelty investigator for the Toronto Humane Society and former mall security guard, is not allowed to investigate animal cruelty complaints pending an investigation in which he handcuffed the owner of the dog to a car.

But the highly publicized pet saving incident has ignited emotion and feedback from hundreds of pet owners and swamped the Toronto Humane Society with letters and emails calling for his reinstatement.

On July 31, Smith responded to a call that Cyrus, a 50-kg Rottweiler, was locked in an overheated car. The Toronto Humane Society investigator smashed through the car window, rescued the dying dog, who was slumped and foaming at the mouth, and handcuffed the irate owner to the car. He then rushed the dog to a hospital, leaving the man there handcuffed until police arrived on the scene.

[Kiouni]

1. A crowd beat the guy

"But reports soon followed that the handcuffed dog owner was beaten by the crowd and was bleeding when police arrived, so the Ontario SPCA has hired a retired Ontario Provincial Police officer to probe the incident and determine whether Smith had followed proper protocol or overstepped his limits."

[Hepburn]

2. And .....

....the problem with beating the shit out of an asshole who left a helpless pet to roast to death in a locked car is....???

:shrug:

[gratefultobelib]

3. Right. Couldn't agree more!

[Kiouni]

4. it was just left out in the post.

I felt it needed adding.

[1620rock]

5. He should have handcuffed the asshole inside the overheated car.

[FreedomRain]

7. well , the problem is

that he needs a fair trial first. Yeah he's 98% likely to be a jerk who deserved it, but we don't know without evidence. Off the top of my head, suppose the owner had just found out someone else had left the dog in his car, and was going to go take care of it when Johnny law showed up, and left him to the mercy of this crowd? That was irresponsible to the extreme.

[Hepburn]

8. Trial is....

....Did you leave that dog in the car??? Yes or no?

[achtung_circus]

11. The problem is

that Tre Smith is a sworn Peace Officer and sworn to uphold the law, all law, not just the pieces he chooses. When a Peace Officer arrests or detains someone they become legally responsible for that person's well-being.

Up until the point where he handcuffed the man, Smith was doing what he was supposed to do- rescuue the animal, and was well within his legal rights.

When he chose to hancuff the man, a legally debatable call, given the offence, he made himself responsible.

To then drive away with the dog leaving the man to the tender mercies of the crowd is not conduct expected of a Peace Officer. Smith may be criminally and civilly liable.

Ontario SPCA Investigators are NOT issued handcuffs.

The further problem is that the media circus that has ensued may impact OSPCA donations, as they are being portrayed in the media as being heavy-handed. Well, if a police officer had handcuffed a criminal to a car and left him to vigilante justice he would lose his job.

The OSPCA needs to investigate, which they are doing; the people who threaten to remove their donations from the OSPCA should remember that if the SPCA is to be taken seriously, they need to act professionally, as officers and as an organization.

[RiDuvessa]

6. I sympathize with the guy.

I really, really do. But he should have just rescued the dog and left the owner alone.

I in no way sympathize with the crowd who beat the owner. That is vigilante mob justice and is never justified. They should have left that to the cops.

[Kiouni]

9. I agree

they had his license plate number. Why handcuff him?

[MasonJar]

10. Some people are beyond redemption. What kind of peabrain would

lock his dog in a car with no air. People even forget their children in hot cars and the children die. We are living an impossible lifestyle if we cannot function with more sense. It is time to slow down and maybe even walk, not drive.

[applegrove]

12. What else would he have handcuff's for?

[achtung_circus]

13. Probably his own handcuffs,

left over from his days as a mall cop.