Ottawa By-Law Services Sends a Cruel Reminder to Freedom Convoy: Remember What Happens to Pets When Their Owners Are Arrested
Members of the Freedom Convoy were hit Thursday with a sickening reminder from a city regulatory service about what happens to pets after their owners are arrested.
Ottawa By-Law Services warned demonstrators that their fluffy friends would be seized if care cannot be provided for them, giving a deadline of eight days to retrieve the detained animals.
Owners unable to provide for care within that timeframe, such as short-term political prisoners, seemingly lose the right to redeem their pet.
The code enforcement service posted the warning on Twitter, a message pointed directly at members of the Freedom Convoy.
Attention animal owners at demonstration
If you are unable to care for your animal as a result of enforcement actions, your animal will placed into protective care for 8 days, at your cost. After 8 days, if arrangements are not made, your animal will be considered relinquished. pic.twitter.com/OkbXc8RE3c
— Ottawa By-law (@OttawaBylaw) February 17, 2022
A follow-up post by the service argued their rights are clear under city code.
The Animal Care and Control By-law provides for temporary “protective care” by the City of animals in the event that the owner is not available, under circumstances including eviction, incarceration, or fire or medical emergency. https://t.co/Pf1Irf70al
— Ottawa By-law (@OttawaBylaw) February 17, 2022
“The Animal Care and Control By-law provides for temporary ‘protective care’ by the City of animals in the event that the owner is not available,” the service wrote, “under circumstances including eviction, incarceration, or fire or medical emergency.”
The Ottawa animal control ordinance does allow for the seizure of animals under this situation, but more importantly it also explains what happens to animals whose owners run out of time.
After the deadline arrives, cats and dogs seized by the city are entered into the pound system as a “day-one” arrivals.
These animals could get adopted out to new homes, escape or even be euthanized in the event of a problem.
Pet owners have descended on Ottawa from across the massive country of Canada, and it’s likely that not all of them have family or friends able to make the long-haul drive to rescue a dear pet.
The announcement comes as national and local officials increase the pressure against the Freedom Convoy, while police appear intent on cracking down on demonstrators.
Considering Canadian President Justin Trudeau’s assertion that the truckers should be stripped of their bank accounts and subjected to even crueler punishments, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that some pet owners arrested at the protest may be held for longer than eight days.
Those caught without a plan for their pets could be in for major heartbreak.
The cruelty of the announcement caught instant backlash online, as many rushed to call out the code enforcers for the callous post.
This is an unusual form of cruelty. How will your relationship with your community survive this, really? You know these are working class people. How do you ever expect them to trust you again? Have you thought that far ahead? Does it even matter to you?
— Shel Desormeaux (@mmedesormeaux) February 17, 2022
Threatening Freedom Trucker’s pets!
Just when you thought the Ottawa establishment couldn’t sink even lower!
They do!— Jimmy Mitchell (@vanjimbo) February 17, 2022
There are 2 types of people, one that sees the gov mandating that you take a vaccine inorder to work or go into a store and if you protest they freeze your bank account and threaten to kill your pet as wrong and one that has no problem with this.
The two cannot coexist.— sean brett (@BaconKnight) February 17, 2022
Considering the Canadian government’s worrying moral slide, separating owners from their pets might soon become a tool used against people with the “wrong” political views.
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