It was a hot summer day in July when Animal Cruelty Investigator Tre Smith received a call about a dog locked inside a car in the King and Jameson area.  When he arrived he quickly assessed the situation, and what he saw was ominous.  The animal was foaming at the mouth and had relieved itself --- a sign of organ failure.  Smith acted promptly to save the pet, which was hovering near death after far too long inside the sweltering vehicle. 

He broke the window and pulled the unconscious dog out.  Realizing he was in a fight with time, he knew the Rottweiler, named Cyrus, needed immediate attention or it would die.  But as he was leaving, the dog's owner approached and according to Smith, was behaving aggressively. 

That's when Smith was forced to make a tough decision. 

Rather than deal with the owner and let the dog die, he decided to handcuff him to the car and rush Cyrus away for treatment.  It was a move that likely saved the animal's life, but ultimately may have killed Smith's career.  While he was away, the cuffed man was assaulted, and not long after the incident, the Ontario S.P.C.A. suspended Smith's licence and he was put on desk duty.

Almost three months later he still awaits the O.S.P.C.A.'s final decision on his case.  And the waiting game just got a little bit longer after the final verdict was deferred. 

Smith fears the worst.  

"They said in a letter to our lawyer that they are entertaining the possibility of permanently revoking my license," he told CityNews. 

"Hindsight is always 20/20 but given the situation of the explosive actions of the owner, I did what I did to protect my own well-being, the people around me, the Good Samaritans helping and to rescue a beautiful dog named Cyrus.

"I didn't even have seconds. I had milliseconds before Cyrus was going to cross over, so I didn't have any time to sit there and ponder and make a decision."

Smith was horrified to learn that the man was assaulted, and actually helped police collar the suspects.

"At no point did I think that he was going to get hurt or his well-being was in jeopardy. When I got back, I saw him in the back of the police car. He had a swollen eye and a bloody nose. That's all I saw."

Despite the fact that he could lose the job he loves, Smith stands by his actions.

"I'll say the same thing I have said all along. I did what I had to do to get the job done, and I acted in good faith. I love my job. I take pride in what I do and I want to continue doing it. I really hope that they are going to see that I acted in good faith and that I'm a good animal cruelty investigator. I want to continue to protect Toronto's animals."

Just this past weekend Smith received an animal rescue award for the very act that he's now being punished for by the O.S.P.C.A.  In the end, he thinks it was all worth it.

"The only good thing that came out of it, regardless of what happens to me, is that a beautiful dog named Cyrus was rescued that day."

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