To animal lovers, activists, and thousands of everyday people who have offered their support, Toronto Humane Society inspector Tre Smith is a hero.
After all, if it weren't for his brave actions on July 31st, a Rottweiller named
Cyrus almost certainly would have perished in the sweltering car his owner locked him in. But Smith arrived on the scene and didn't hesitate to smash the car's window and pull the dog, which was hovering near death, out of the vehicle where he could begin his valiant attempt to save its life. But in the confusion that followed, Smith had to make a tough choice. The dog's owner arrived on the scene, and according to Smith, became confrontational. Smith knew he had only seconds to spare if he hoped to save Cyrus, and chose to cuff the dog's owner and leave the scene to attend to the animal. While he was gone, the man became a sitting duck for angry bystanders, and was allegedly assaulted.
Two weeks later,
the Ontario SPCA suspended Smith's agent license pending an internal review. He can still work at the
Humane Society, but can't investigate animal cruelty cases.
Smith was dumfounded by the decision, and so were his supporters, who have organized a rally on Wednesday in honour of their hero.
In the meantime, Smith is still trying to come to terms with what's transpired.
"To be honest with you, I'm not sure (why I was suspended). I really don't know," he told Ann Rohmer during
Animal House Calls on Tuesday. "I received an e-mail sent out to every O.S.P.C.A. member across the province and alerting them to the fact that a Toronto Humane Society agent has been suspended due to his actions on July 31st, that's pretty much where it ended."
"I'm absolutely in the dark," he adds. "From what I understand they've hired an independent person, a retired O.P.P. constable, to look into the events on that day."
And while his future may be uncertain, Smith is sure of one thing --- he has no regrets about his past. In the end, Cyrus was saved, and to Smith, that's all that matters.
"When we brought him into the clinic we were surprised he was going to last the night and fortunately he did and he's thrived and got a lot better, (but) he'll never be the same dog he was before this incident.
"They haven't actually given him a final diagnosis but they're definitely seeing mild brain damage, his attention span isn't the same. He doesn't always respond to his name. I've been told by the vets that he is suffering from mild brain damage."
According to Smith, timing was everything, and if he'd been delayed dealing with the owner, the dog would have died.
"I don't think he could have survived any longer. He was seconds if not milliseconds away from crossing over. He had already released himself which is a tell tale sign that the organs are shutting down."
"I've been to hundreds of dog and car calls and you always prepare yourself (but) that was one of the most horrible things I've seen to date, seeing this beautiful Rottweiler slumped over the backseat gasping for his last bit of air. There's a lot going on. Emotions run deep when that happens but you have to keep them under control and remember that you're there to save and an animal's life."
Tre Smith Rally:
Wednesday
Starts at Toronto Humane Society
11 River St. @ 11:30am
Procession drives slowly up Highway 404 to Newmarket OSPCA Headquarters
16586 Woodbine Avenue
Newmarket.