Animal treatment at Newmarket OSPCA questioned

Veteran Progressive Conservative MPP Frank Klees in the Queen's Park legislative chambers. (file)

Questions are being raised about the treatment of animals at the Newmarket OSPCA after an MPP said that animals were being killed due to a ringworm outbreak.

The comment came from PC MPP Frank Klees, who charged during question period Thursday that an entire population of animals will be killed because of a ringworm outbreak and other illnesses at the shelter.

The Newmarket OSPCA released a statement saying it is not experiencing outbreaks of disease at any of its facilities, though some animals are ill when they arrive.

“Many animals are quite ill or suffering from the effects of neglect or abuse when they come to the Ontario SPCA for care,” senior communications manager Alison Cross said in a statement.

Klees, however, said that his information is correct and it comes from three former OSPCA employees who were fired after protesting the number of animals being euthanized.

The former employees insist that between 40 to 70 animals are being euthanized every week at the Newmarket shelter.

This isn’t the first time the Newmarket OSPCA has been in the spotlight. Two years ago, the organization came under scrutiny for killing animals that had ringworm.

With files from CTV Toronto’s Paul Bliss