SOMEONE SHOULD DO SOMETHING – RIGHT?
When a photograph of a very thin mare appeared in an advertisement for an Ontario auction recently, the reaction was immediate.
People were heartbroken. People were angry. Many commented that “someone should do something.”
Some generous individuals even stepped forward and offered the mare a safe place to land if she could be purchased.
All of those reactions come from a place of compassion. But one crucial step was largely missing from the conversation…
The horse should have been reported to Ontario’s Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS/AWS).
If you see an animal that appears to be suffering, reporting it isn’t about assigning blame or making assumptions. It’s about ensuring that trained Animal Welfare Inspectors are made aware of the situation and can determine whether the animal requires protection or whether an investigation is warranted.
Social media is not an animal welfare agency.
Commenting “someone should help” doesn’t create an official record. Sharing a post doesn’t trigger an inspection. Arguing about who owns the horse doesn’t result in anyone checking on its condition.
A report to PAWS does.
The process is surprisingly simple. It takes only a few minutes to call the toll-free Animal Welfare Hotline and provide the information you have.
Even if you don’t know every detail, your report may provide an important piece of information that helps inspectors assess the situation.
No one is expected to diagnose why a horse is thin. There can be many causes, including age, illness, dental disease, parasites or neglect. That isn’t for the public to determine.
What the public can do is recognize when an animal appears to be in poor condition and alert the people who have the legal authority to investigate.
Every report matters.
Sometimes there is already an open file. Sometimes multiple independent reports help establish a pattern. Sometimes your call is the one that brings an animal to the attention of inspectors for the very first time.
If you’re in Ontario and you believe an animal may be in distress, don’t assume someone else has already called.
Make the call yourself.
It takes about three minutes.
Those three minutes could make all the difference to an animal that has no voice of its own.
IF YOU ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY GIVEN ONE WHEN MAKING THE CALL — ASK FOR A UNIQUE CASE NUMBER (UCN)
Ontario Animal Welfare Hotline
Toll-free: 1-833-9-ANIMAL (1-833-926-4625)
If the situation is an emergency and an animal is in immediate danger, CALL 9-1-1.
Compassion is important. Action is even more important.
P.S. We reported this situation. BUT we do NOT have eyes everywhere – please don’t wait for us or anyone else to report.
The UNIQUE CASE NUMBER (UCN) IS:
22320606
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