Tre Smith is not only a hero. He's also hot. And goddamn, he should get his licence back!
Agent Smith works as an animal cruelty investigating officer at the Toronto Humane Society and he appears regularly on CityTv's show Animal House Calls. Therefore, his name and/or face are not completely unfamiliar to the people residing in Toronto. In fact, it has appeared several times in the past in the evening news, outlining his heroic efforts in animal rescue from their negligent owners.
July 31 was a hot day and Agent Smith was strolling through Parkdale, near the ghetto that encompasses King Street West and Jameson Avenue, when he noticed a Rottweiler trapped inside a car. Of all the news outlets that have been reporting on the story, this is the best description of what Smith felt compelled to do next:
"Out of desperation, Smith smashed the car window and pulled the animal [Cyrus] to safety. The dog's owner arrived at the scene when he heard his car alarm. After calling police, Smith handcuffed the man to his vehicle and rushed to the THS where the dog was revived. During this time, the owner was allegedly assaulted by a bystander."
When you go with the mob rule, the owner really got what he truly deserved. Unfortunately, this golden rule does not sit well with the government and the divine The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who suspended Smith's licence due to the fact that he failed to file an incident report, even after their repeated requests. Therefore, they have been forced to conduct an indepedent review, which is currently in progress.
It is heartening to know that the Toronto Humane Society stands behind the suspended officer, who has been reduced to do administrative paper work. Tim Trow, the president of the organization, believes that the apparent magnitude of the incident was created due to a simple overreaction, and describes Smith as "one of our top investigators."
Yesterday, on August 15th, there was a protest organized by Smith's brother, Corey Smith, in front of the organization's headquarters on River Street. About thirty supporters turned out. Smith was touched: "I don't think this is about me, I think this is about animal cruelty. I think this is about Cyrus." He also says that he loves his job because it enables him to save lives of suffering animals. "Cyrus' pain and suffering brought us here," he stated. "I want to make sure I get my licence back so I can save more Cyruses in the future."
Moreover, Tre is using his five second of fame in order to advocate on the behalf of all the animals, who must live with the consequences of not having a responsible master. He believes that the laws pertaining to animal cruelty are too lax. He believes that longer sentences and higher fines should be implemented. Currently, the maximum penalty for animal cruelty is six months in jail and a $2,000 fine.
References:
Canadian Press. "Animal Lovers Protest." The Edmonton Sun. Retrieved 08/16/2007 from <http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Canada/2007/08/16/4421913-sun.html>.
E Ontario. "Pet Lovers Show Support for Toronto SPCA." Retrieved 08/16/2007 from <http://www.eontarionow.com/provincial/2007/08/15/pet-lovers-show-support-for-toronto-spca/>.
Godfrey, Tom. "Protest for THS Worker." The Toronto Sun. Retrieved 08/16/2007 from <http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/08/16/4422619-sun.html>.
Nicholls, Sophie. "Critics Bark at OSPCA Over Suspension." The Toronto Sun. Retrieved 08/16/2007 from <http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/08/16/4422654-sun.html>.
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