COLUMN BY MONIKA REKOLA

MARCH 1, 2024: MIDLAND TODAY

Monday, February 24, was a day of determination and purpose.

A passionate crowd gathered at Barrie City Hall, braving the cold to stand together for a cause that mattered. Advocates, activists and concerned citizens, bundled up against the weather, came with a shared goal—to push for stronger animal welfare laws.

Side by side, they called for faster response times from Animal Welfare Services (AWS), tougher penalties for repeat offenders and meaningful changes to prevent ongoing neglect and abuse.

On February 4, the OPP alerted AWS about the dire conditions of horses at an Oro-Medonte location. [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE]

Monika Rekola is a columnist with Village Media, a certified landscape designer, and a horticulturist dedicated to ecological stewardship. With a deep passion for gardening and sustainable living, she merges expertise with advocacy, championing environmental conservation, human rights, and animal welfare. Through her writing and design work, she inspires actionable change, fostering harmony between people, nature, and the landscapes they call home.

Contact Ms. Rekola at monika.rekola@gmail.com

HORSE NEGLECT OVERVIEW

Although 16 emaciated, neglected horses belonging to Stephanie Redlick were finally seized by Animal Welfare Services on February 20, 2025, this fight is far from over.

We will not forget what happened here, and we will not allow Animal Welfare Services to escape accountability.

It took far too long for them to respond, despite clear signs of suffering.

The conditions were appalling—no water, no salt, no feed, and no shelter for the majority of the emaciated horses.

These animals should have been seized long before they were.

We are NOT going to be ignored. Please join us in demanding answers and ensure that AWS does its job to protect animals in the future. Details below — we need your voices now more than ever.

SPEAK UP - IT TAKES LESS THAN A MINUTE

PLEASE TAKE 30 SECONDS...

This 2-click "done for you" email sends a clear message to elected officials that Ontarians will not accept a system that allows repeat harm.

It takes less than a minute — and it puts real pressure on decision-makers to close the loophole that allows Redlick to keep accumulating horses - even after 16 were seized, 13 animal welfare charges were laid - and she owes over $116,000 for their care.