Toronto Humane Society 'heartbroken' after rescue van stolen
Toronto Humane Society 'heartbroken' after rescue van stolen
Toronto Humane Society (THS) staff say they are “heartbroken” after a van critical to their work was stolen.
“This van was more than just a van. It was a rescue tool, a mobile lifeline that has carried hundreds of animals to safety, to security, and to the start of something new,” the non-profit organization said in a news release issued Tuesday.
Aside from the transportation of rescue animals, the van was also used to deliver pet food and attend community events -- all efforts which have been hampered by the theft, Hannah Sotropa, assistant manager of communications at the THS, told CTV News Toronto in an interview.
Most recently, the van was used to transport a tiny puppy with a broken leg and a senior dog with medical complications.
On Monday night, THS said, two individuals broke into the downtown facility’s parking garage at approximately 11 p.m. and stole the vehicle.
No staff or animals were harmed during the break in, according to THS. Additional security measures have since been put in place to protect staff and animal safety for the immediate future.
A loss this size would hurt anyone. But for a charity which relies on people’s goodwill and generosity. Our safe-living capacity has been cut short and we are left wondering how we’ll respond to the next emergency.💔 ~ Link in bio "break in"https://t.co/iQDAkFnAy5 Please share! pic.twitter.com/rWRwWYfqsl
In addition to the van itself, Sotropa said, a number of other key pieces of equipment were stolen, including walkie-talkies, an industrial vacuum, and a pressure washer.
Toronto police confirmed to CTV News Toronto they are investigating the incident.
THS said that officers attended the facility on Tuesday morning.
In total, Sotropa said, the value of the goods stolen is somewhere between $50 and $60,000.
A van used by the Toronto Humane Society for rescue animal transportation is seen in these images. (Instagram/toronto_humane_society)
“It's not a small expenditure, especially for a non-profit who, you know, rely solely on the generous support of our donors and supporters,” she said.
“Asking for your help now feels strange because of the intensity of emotions that arise when we think of this unfortunate event. But the need has never been more urgent,” the news release continued.
In the meantime, THS said it will be forced to rent a van and lean on its other vehicle, which is not dedicated to animal rescue transfers, to support its work.
W5 goes deep into the narco heartland to interview a commander with one of Mexico's most brutal cartels. W5's documentary 'Narco Avocados' airs Saturday at 7 pm on CTV.
Memphis authorities released video footage Friday showing Tyre Nichols being beaten by police officers who held the Black motorist down and repeatedly struck him with their fists, boots and batons as he screamed for his mother and pleaded, ''I'm just trying to go home.'
When selling a home, Canadians may be exempted from paying capital gains tax on a residential property -- if it's their principal residence. On CTVNews.ca, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew explains what's determined as a principal residence, and what properties are eligible for the exemption.
Aryna Sabalenka, a 24-year-old from Belarus, who won her first Grand Slam title by coming back to beat Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at Melbourne Park on Saturday night, using 17 aces among her 51 total winners to overcome seven double-faults.
With a deal under negotiation between Ottawa and provinces, and premiers invited to a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in early February, the issue remains one where the Tory leader's position appears somewhat murky, including to some inside his own party.
A Palestinian gunman opened fire outside an east Jerusalem synagogue Friday night, killing seven people, including a 70-year-old woman, and wounding three others before he was shot and killed by police, officials said.
The head of the Canada Revenue Agency says it 'wouldn't be worth the effort' to fully review $15.5 billion in potentially ineligible pandemic wage benefit payments flagged by Canada's Auditor General.
Using phones and tablets to communicate in encrypted chatrooms, a rapidly growing group of U.S. and allied troops and contractors are providing real-time maintenance advice -- usually speaking through interpreters -- to Ukrainian troops on the battlefield.
On Jan. 29, 2017, six men were killed and five others injured shortly after evening prayer at the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Centre. Montrealers gathered Friday to commemorate the victims and call for action amid a rise in hate crimes.
In an emotional and powerful speech at an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event in Ottawa, a survivor stressed the importance of remembering the millions of victims murdered by the Nazis during the Second World War and underscored the need to stand up against anti-semitism and hate.
The Francois Legault government announced the formation of an interdepartmental 'action group' on the French language to find ways to halt the 'decline' of the language in Quebec.
A group of friends from west London, Ont. are giving back to the community one coat, one coffee and one hug at a time. They hit the streets Friday night as part of a yearly initiative to help those living in rough conditions.
While the deadline to file your taxes is months away, there are some personal tax credits Ontarians may qualify for that require some time pilfering through receipts to get them.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) shut down a section of a Perth County roadway Friday after they say a passerby discovered a body in the area overnight.
A Kitchener elementary school is responding to reports of a suspicious man who appeared to be watching or following students on two separate occasions.
The manager of a Tim Hortons in North Bay was wrong to fire a long-term employee because of her physical limitations, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has ruled.
W5 goes deep into the narco heartland to interview a commander with one of Mexico's most brutal cartels. W5's documentary 'Narco Avocados' airs Saturday at 7 pm on CTV.
The Parliamentary Protective Service says it expects as many as 500 people to gather on Parliament Hill for an event this weekend to mark the one-year anniversary since the start of the 'Freedom Convoy' protest.
While the deadline to file your taxes is months away, there are some personal tax credits Ontarians may qualify for that require some time pilfering through receipts to get them.
Barrie Colts owner Howie Campbell, as well as the captain and alternate captain of the Colts, Brandt Clarke and Jacob Frasca visited the two patients at RVH this week.
The Halifax Thunderbirds hosted its annual Every Child Matters night Friday, which included a pre-game ceremony to draw attention to and honour the victims and survivors of Canada’s residential school system.
Record collectors in Newfoundland will have a chance Saturday to paw through selections from the vast vinyl library belonging to 98-year-old radio station VOWR.
Tyler Toffoli and the Calgary Flames rebounded from one of their ugliest losses of the season and picked up an important two points in the Pacific Division before starting the All-Star break.
Upward of five centimetres of snow fell in Calgary early Friday morning and officials said conditions were good, but the situation deteriorated later on Friday, leading to plenty of crashes and road closures.
The chief of the Williams Lake First Nation says he would support excavating possible unmarked graves at the site of the former St. Joseph's Mission residential school if that's what elders and the community decide is best.
A review has been launched after police officers were recorded restraining a handcuffed Indigenous child on the floor of a Vancouver hospital – an incident the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has denounced as "horrendous."
The self-proclaimed spiritual leader accused of sexually assaulting four of his female followers between 2017 and 2020 made his first court appearance in Edmonton.
New details have emerged in an ongoing civil lawsuit against the City of Leduc as court documents detail allegations that women working as firefighters experienced systemic discrimination and sexual assault.
An Alberta government email review of whether Premier Danielle Smith’s office interfered with Crown prosecutors has taken a confusing turn, with duelling statements from two spokespeople on what was investigated.
A van used by the Toronto Humane Society for rescue animal transportation is seen in these images. (Instagram/toronto_humane_society)
