Hello, Friends,

Like many rural communities, Southwest Middlesex has a problem – one that goes largely unnoticed, but is a serious issue. With the closure of the Glencoe Animal Shelter, there is now an even bigger hole in the municipality’s bylaw portfolio. Cats – and now dogs – an integral and important part of our society, have little regulation and almost no protection in our community. As a result, every once in awhile, people in the community step forward to fill the void created by policies that do not address the issues.

My name is Stephen Tomasi, and I live in Appin, Ontario. My wife Alexandra and I have been conducting an unlicensed and unregistered cat rescue from our home for the last 4+ years; the task is insurmountable, but we cannot just give up and give in. We are cat advocates. We are, however, unable to provide the relief that is required to ameliorate the situation.

SALT Rescue (Saving Animals Lives Together) is a registered charity that has been rescuing and homing cats and other pets in London and the surrounding area. Its founder and director, Bonnie Smith, has been rescuing animals for 30+ years, and the last couple of years have been crazy – especially with the Covid rush to get pets, then the backlash of returning them as adoptive families came out of seclusion to go back to school and work. She has a reputation of never saying no to an animal in need and the area she services grows larger and larger, but the rescue’s resources remain the same – donation driven, with adoption fees helping to cover the enormous expenses.
When we contacted Bonnie a little over two years ago with a major problem in the village of Glencoe, she came out to see us, and immediately and without question put her time, money, and resources into helping make things better. And she has. It’s still not enough, however.

In 2021, SALT was asked to come help in Glencoe, rescuing 37 cats and kittens, and so far in 2022, they have brought in 18 from the village (and those are only the ones that I am aware of). That’s 55 vet bills, each animal being treated for parasites, given a full examination, spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchipping, and any treatments, procedures, or operations that are required to produce a healthy cat. While they do take donations, and they do charge a nominal adoption fee, they run at a shortfall constantly. They have asked for nothing from the community except that they educate themselves concerning the importance of spay/neutering, and proper animal care.

To the person or people who determine fiscal policy, I strongly urge you to consider making a charitable donation to this worthwhile cause, a group that has helped with no questions asked and no expectations. While we as a community cannot ask them to clean up our messes indefinitely, they remain committed to helping our community find its footing and become self-sufficient.

On a personal note, as a ratepayer in a municipality with the lowest tax rates in the province, I urge our municipal government to rethink those rates so that ratepayers get the resources and services that they feel they are entitled to. It is time for our local government to do the right thing and take responsibility for issues like these – ones that are largely ignored to keep operating costs down and appease the ratepayers. In this new millennium, it is time to get with the times.

Yours Most Sincerely,

Stephen Tomasi