Re-opened Toronto Humane Society, looks good, no verdict

An animal lover friend toured the refurbished Toronto Humane Society today and sends a cautiously optimistic report:

Derrick - Disease control and sanitation
Alyx - animal care worker?

- all questions were answered in detail - no "not sures" or vagueness

- not much mention of former board/processes/practices although when we were shown the boardroom/staff lunch room that have been made out of Trow's former office, Derrick mentioned that one of the most satisfying things for him in this whole process was tearing out Tim Trow's walls etc.

- Total number of dog cages has been halved so that each can be expanded in size with "guillotine" door in middle to make cleaning less disruptive for dogs and easier for staff

- Entire facility has been steam-cleaned several times and totally repainted

- Much more natural light

- Indoor/outdoor area for dogs (connected to the dog rooms) that has shady trees, chicken wire across top about 10ft up so birds/raccoons don't get in. this hasn't been completed yet as they need to replace the brick on external walls as there had been raccoons on it etc

- Dog and cat "enrichment" rooms with furniture, plants etc to test them out in homey environment and gauge things like furniture/plant chewing etc

- Dog washing room

- kitten nursery will reopen - no kittens in it yet but shortly

- Before the shutdown they had added a dish- and cage-cleaning machine (made by Steris, huge floor-to-ceiling stainless thing that looks like an elevator) because of the high occupancy, but now that there will be no overcrowding they can sell the extra one

- Bowls and dishes are stored in  closed cabinets now so less dust etc (formerly were out on open shelving)

- new holding room for stray cats, with building access from back entrance so no exposure to main cat population

- Hoping to stop using paper to line cages, use towels/linens instead - this will be tested out soon

- Looking into a recycling program (for food tins etc) but it's not in place yet, is one of the long-range goals

- Changing to stainless steel litterboxes instead of cardboard

Now in basement garagey area. Lots of cages stacked for reconfiguration.

Intake process now more involved - consultation with intake coordinator to explain alternatives to owner: not just suggesting rescues or asking friends/family to take animal, but offering information on how owner might try to make it work without surrendering animal

essentially lots of big changes but lots of small ones too

saw quite a few reunions of volunteers with staff - hugs and cries of delight "this is wonderful!" "can't wait to get at it!" etc

***********************************

so yeah overall I came away with a feeling they're ready and eager to start  and they're very determined to do things differently.

Statement from the THS: http://www.torontohumanesociety.com/news_events.htm?newsstories/jun28_2010_1.htm

*

Fred, so, so sorry about Stella. And your Mom. Please don't stay away too long. Toronto needs your voice! http://www.onebarkatatime.blogspot.com/

 

Oil industry blooper of the day

John Hofmeister, former president of Shell's U.S. operations, decried the potential of more government regulation in the wake of BP's Deepwater Horizon catastrophe in the Gulf. Wrote Shawn McCarthy in the Globe:

Industry supporters fear the Democratic administration will impose “regulatory overkill” as Mr. Obama and his supporters in the Congress face a backlash from their supporters.

“Politics and energy don’t mix – it’s like water and oil,” said John Hofmeister, former president of Shell’s U.S. operations and founder of public interest group, Citizens for Affordable Energy.

“We’re now seeing the politicization of this disaster in ways that can only be harmful for the industry and, ultimately, the American consumers.”

Hmmmm, oil and water. Maybe not the best image to use in arguing against regulatory oversight.

 

 

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Lisbeth Salander is back in my life

They will be brief, and I will treasure every moment, but I have blissful hours ahead reading the last book in Stieg Larsson"s crime trilogy with its maverick protagonist, Lisbeth Salander. This one, The Girl who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, just came out in hardcover in English, and my anticipation was so great, I broke my library or paperback-only rule. How enticing is this passage about Salander in Chapter 1?

I think you're right," Erlander said to Blomkvist as they walked back to the farmhouse. "An analysis of the blood will probably establish that Salander was shot and buried here, and I'm beginning to expect that we'll find her fingerprints on the cigarette case. Somehow she managed to survive and dig herself out and - "

"And somehow get back to the farm and swing an ax into Zalachenko's skull," Blomkvist finished for him. She can be a moody bitch.

I took Larsson's death after handing in three manuscripts to his publisher as a personal loss. I haven't seen any of the Swedish movies about the series, or the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which was made into a film in English because I don't want to be disappointed. I will, of course, give in.

 

 

One bright spot in BP oil spill - Washington freedom of information law works

There's not much good news coming from the accident on BP's  Deepwater Horizon rig and the deadly oil leak choking the Gulf and spreading by the hour. However, journalists in Canada can only look with envy at how quickly the New York Times was able to access BP documents through the the Freedom of Information Act.

In the subsequent story, reporter Ian Urbina wa able to show BP had  serious safety concerns on the rig before the accident and that problems included loss of "well control." BP execs ignored its own internal reports about concerns that occurred far earlier than Congress had been led to believe by the company.

In Canada, requests most often turn into weeks, months, even years, of delay. Moreover - and more envy here - Congress said no a few weeks ago, when BP tried to turn off the underwater video feed showing the spewing oil. Hard to imagine Canadian politicians showing similar grit -  although one can always hope.

The walls around Parry Sound-Muskoka's Tony Clement - even media people don't talk

Last week, Industry Minister Tony Clement press secretary didn't bother to return my repeated phone calls on a story. I'd been in Sudbury to report on the 11-month-old strike against the Brazilian mining giant, Vale, by some 3,000 Steelworkers (not including strikers in Voisey's Bay and Port Colborne) and was told they had questions for the industry minister about his reported comments about Vale. He'd said he had concerns and would investigate the terms of the company's 2006 purchase of their former employer, Inco. They'd been counting on him to determine if Vale had broken its commitments and were perplexed when Clement suddenly shifted gears.

 I've always considered a reporter's job to be the privilege of asking questions on behalf of a larger citizenry who can't all crowd into, say, a politician's office. Their salaries and those of their staffers are, after all, paid by that citizenry.

I first called the industry minister's communications department and explained what I needed to know. Not insignificantly, I wanted to  find out for starters if his reported comments were even accurate.  Moreover, I sought a brief telephone interview with the minister (highly unlikely!) and, barring that, some time with his press secretary. I was told to call that person, Lynn Meahan, and did so, repeatedly, over three days. Each time, I was told she would get back to me. Nothing.

Reporters don't expect politicians to be easily available (unless they want something). But they do expect courtesy from the people they hire to communicate with the media - and by proxy, voters - on their behalf. Ms. Meahan's actions, or lack of, suggest an attitude of arrogance and non-transparency in the office of the industry minister.

Perhaps Mr. Clement thinks of himself up on Parliament Hill as far removed from the rough-and-tumble of everyday life.

I suppose he's not alone. A recent investigation by the Canadian Press revealed the mechanics of the PMO's information control. This report makes good reading.

Newmarket OSPCA: Ringworm! Run for your lives

When I read the horrifying news this week the Newmarket OSPCA was putting down over 350 animals due to a ringworm epidemic - with 50 already euthanized - I thought it had to be just dumb, blind panic. A Chicken LIttle response. But my colleague Tom Walkom offers another rationale today: it may be all about money. As Tom writes:

But in the end, it seems to have decided that it was more efficient — that it to say, less costly — to eliminate the existing animals in its shelter and start all over again. In pure profit-and-loss terms, that calculation is probably correct. But some of us thought that Ontario’s  animal welfare charity actually cared about animals.

This is not the first time the OSPCA has made decisions that make no sense. It was, according to court documents, the OSPCA that ordered five "pit bulls" (and proof of breed should be taken with a grain of salt) killed at the Toronto Humane Society recently after, according to court documents, the animals had already been accepted by U.S. pit bull rescue groups. And that's on top of the animals put down when the THS, too, decided to "start all over," as the Newmarket OSPCA branch seems to have done.

Walkom and others have already presented the case against this Newmarket debacle with eloquence and passion. I merely want to pull together some of that comment and raise questions. (I should note I have had animals with ringworm and gotten through it successfully. An epidemic is far more serious than the treatment of a few pets, however it's inconceivable the public charity supposedly dedicated to the welfare of animals chooses the killing option.)

- OSPCA officials have said the last-resort decision was taken on the advice of veterinarians. Who are they? Let's have their opinions. I know my vet doesn't agree. Online, the OSPCA simply makes a couple of terse statements, saying the York region branch in Newmarket is closed until further notice because of the ringworm epidemic and advises people to call 1-888-668-7722 if they have questions. .

- Police and private security were brought in after OSPCA officials said they'd received death threats. No details have been provided. When the Toronto Humane Society announced plans to euthanize its animals and start over, the same claim was made. Then, I followed up, trying to get some details about these threats - were they to the Toronto staff or the OSPCA, were the police brought in, what division, was an official report made? I came up empty. I'm not saying there were no threats, however they are both hard to prove and potentially a strong PR tool. Are these real death threats or, as some have suggested, something more innocent, such as the shocked response of an animal lover asking hypothetically: "How would you feel if you got put down for having ringworm?" Not the most ideal language, but not a death threat.

- It appears the OSPCA is doing huge damage to its own future interests. Walkom's reaction that he may rethink his decision to give to the OSPCA could well be repeated among hundreds of supporters, How many donors - including pet food companies - are going to stop their support?

Here's the address for Facebook's group discussion of the OSPCA decision: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=121586771193663&v=wall&ref=mf-

It appears the OSPCA is backing down. So here's a final post from Fred offering hope on his superb animal blog. The OSPCA now reports it needs help in treating ringworm: Tanya Firmage, the acting director of animal care, is asking qualified residents to contact the Ontario SPCA directly. You can contact Anne Buonaiuto at 905-898-7122 or email abuonaiuto@ospca.on.ca

That is great news. It does, however, raise the question:  Like, Duh! Couldn't the OSPCA have made this appeal BEFORE killing some 50 animals?

For the love of Pete, you had Betty White!

I know, I know, even my colleague thought Betty White was a success on SNL. But you know what? It  wasn't funny.

They had Betty Friggin' White. Think what they could have done with her. Maybe I'm sulking because I didn't get any Sue Ann Nivens, but this woman is hysterical and all I saw were put-the-old-lady-in-a-wig skits. Oh, and make her talk dirty.

I know a Facebook campaign brought her to the show and SNL's ratings were through the roof, apparently the highest in 18 months.

Still, what a waste.

Invite her back, folks, and let her call the shots.  

For sale: Daisies, water, air . . .

Interesting to see Clorox Co. is using legal muscle to get the San-Francisco based company, Method Home Products, from using the daisy in its product branding. The first step is a cease-and-desist order. I always thought the Clorox symbol was a marigold but, okay, it's a daisy.

It's not because I like Method products but isn't this getting a bit extreme. The daisy? First it was grain in Mexico, then water in Bolivia, what's next? The air we breathe? I'll bet the marketing campaigns are ready to roll out.

The Ignatieff/Zsohar cat pinups

Who can resist sable Burmese Mimi, and her champagne-coloured brother, Eric, who live at Stornoway with Michael Ignatieff and Zsuszanna Zsohar?

The Apocalypse: Alert a Moderator

A reader commented on Nicolaas van Rijn's story Sunday on Iceland's erupting volcano with a biblical quote from Revelations (St. James version), talking about the signs leading to the final judgment:

 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood

On comments, readers are asked to: a)Agree  b)Disagree  c) Alert a moderator.

I was tempted to alert a moderator, but figured it's probably too late.

Betting against the U.S. homeowner

There's a fascinating excerpt in the April Vanity Fair from The Big Short by Michael Lewis on the staggering success of American investor Michael Burry (pictured above). I haven't read the book yet, but the excerpt offers one of the best descriptions I've read on the bursting of the subprime mortgage bubble in the U.S.

You'll never listen to a financial talking head in quite the same way again.

Canadian teachers and their fat-cat pensions

Teachers living high off the hog: The latest story on pensions/pensioners in Canada concerns teachers in Ontario or, rather, retired teachers. Ontario officials made it clear this week the province won't ban so-called double-dipping teachers who retire and go on to work as supply teachers, adding $16.7 million annually to the province's education budget, according to media reports. There's an undertone to news stories suggesting pensioners are getting quite enough public money already, and shouldn't be receiving more to go back to the classroom when younger teachers aren't available.  A recent Globe story used words like "squandered" to describe money paid to pensioned teachers who fill in when full-time staffers are away.

Decoder doesn't want to debate the issue of hiring retired teachers or suggest the province shouldn't watch its spending. It goes without saying there should be jobs for new teachers. An official for the Ottawa-Carlton District School Board was quoted as saying the majority of positions in their region do go to new graduates.

But - have you noticed how pensioners have become an easy target lately? How we're being massaged into thinking benefits in society don't count? In some cases, the public has gotten so used to accepting the view that pensions for working Canadians are a deluxe item, that there's not a big public outcry when bankrupt companies like Nortel try to sweep away benefits for long-time employees. 

The average pension for an Ontario teacher is $40,000. That's hardly living the high life, after years of preparing the children and youth of this country to face the future.

Consider that an MP earns $27,000 after only six years in the House of Commons, and the average for long-serving MPs is $100,000. That's indexed for life, while Senators are way up over those amounts.

We won't even get into the pensions and bonuses for bankers and financiers, including hedge fund managers.

Why would anyone want to live in a world in which teaching is consider the most honoured - and lucrative - profession? After all, they're just dealing with our children.

Meet the dogs that "had" to die

"We failed you," writes Fred, on his blog, onebarkatatime, of the animals killed at the River Street shelter last Friday by the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA). In his blog, Fred writes with compassion of five pit pulls, another dog and 19 cats that were euthanized. He was a volunteer, walked the dogs and knew them. But he is most poignant about the shelter's longest resident:

  "Smokey paid his dues to the shelter, at the very least he could have had a run in the park before they killed him."

Below, in photos by Mel Laking, are Smokey (aka, Smokie), Peti, Socks, Tiger and Captain, the five pit bulls killed:

 

Fred says it took volunteers at the River Street shelter until Saturday to figure out which animals had been put down. The shelter was run by the Toronto Humane Society THS) until last November when it was taken over (temporarily) by the OSPCA. He writes that staffers wanted to protest but were threatened by management, adding these employees don't accept the OSPCA/THS argument the animals were unhealthy or unsafe. Moreover, he says the five pit bulls could have been adopted out-of-province, given the Ontario ban on their breed. In fact, he was involved in the paperwork for one such transfer.

 (It's worth noting officials use  the term "pit bull" extremely loosely in describing the animals pictured above. Just look at those faces. Of course, the Bryant ban - controversial by its very existence - has a bizarre definition of "pit bull." Even animal geneticists quibble over the breeds found in any one dog. But I guess OSPCA experts know best.)

The OSPCA (temporarily operating the Toronto Humane Society) says the animals had to be put down, that they represented a threat to staff. The THS used to be a "no-kill" shelter, but the policy has changed since the OSPCA took over last fall. In a letter to staffers, volunteers and members, Toronto Humane Society executive director Garth Jerome says "change is difficult to accept" and lauds them for being "brave and courageous."

On the weekend, demonstrators marched outside the River Street shelter. Said protestor Rosana Martins: "They say they are protecting animals - but they are murderers. There is no mercy. This used to be a no-kill shelter, now it is a high-kill shelter."

In his letter, Jerome argues the decision to euthanize the 6 dogs (he doesn't mention the cats) came after an "exhaustive" study and the decisions were "fair and objective."

It's puzzling, however, that a panel of experts - veterinarians, OSPCA and THS representatives - was to meet this Thursday, April 1, to decide the fate of these animals. Instead, in a rush-rush fashion, the meeting was moved up to Friday, March 26, and the animals put down that day. Animals described as healthy and affectionate in knowledgeable blogs - with the input of volunteers and (clearly) off-the-record shelter employees - simply had to be put down in a hurry last Friday.

Doesn't make sense.

It's hard to understand how "fair" the process could have been when one learns about these dogs - how they played, which toys they prefered, who had a favorite blanket - in a blog by Selkie. Read their stories.

What gets me is that Smokey,Captain, Socks or any of these animals had nobody to trust but the officials of the OSPCA/THS. 

They were probably excited at being led out of their cages Friday.

Adam Giambrone: Spelling purist alert!

Spelling, please, Councillor Giambrone.

In an email last year, former girlfriend Kristen Lucas complained to Giambrone about unheated subway cars, saying she could "find other ways to keep warm."

Replied the chair of the Toronto Transit Commission: "Be careful, the cameras cover every vehicule (sic) . . . you may be giving one of the mail (sic) employees a show!!"

Cuban Human Rights Abuse

Ay Fidel, not so good in Cuba these days for political dissenters - not that the record has been spotless. This week Amnesty International put out a report on harrassment of Cuba's "women in white" - relatives of jailed prisoners of conscience. In advance of a March 18 protest by these women, Amnesty asked Cuban President Raúl Castro to ensure a peaceful protest. Instead, it was broken up by force.

Cuba is a favorite vacation spot for Canadians who continue to savour the island before it opens up to U.S. tourism, as Cuba will surely do in the post-Castro era. There are a lot of benefits for the Cuban people. It's true, as Michael Moore points out in SICKO, Cubans have good national health care (although pressured by the embargo).

It's the same with a national education policy and, in Cuban cities, one does not see hordes of impoverished children begging at every intersection. But it can't be ignored that Cuba is a closed state in which dissenters face imprisonment and torture and neighborhood watch committees keep a close on people and report back, a la 1984. Canadians, with so much dollar clout, can make their feelings known about what should be a right to democratic protest to Cuban authorities, as easily as to officials in any country where Canadians travel en masse.

Honduran killing fields for journalists

Over the past year, the international focus on Honduras has been on the illegal ousting of the elected president in a military coup and the failure of the Organization of American States to act. International observers failed to find irregularities with the recent presidential election, despite widespread military repression of grassroots protest.

 Meanwhile, in this Central American country, journalists are dying this year at a rate second only to Mexico. After the murder of a third journalist in Honduras in two weeks - eight since the beginning of 2009 - the International Press Institute has called on President Porfirio Lobo to take immediate action. All three journalists received death threats before their executions in recent attacks, as described in an IPI report:

On Monday, 1 March, Joseph Hernández Ochoa, 24, a journalism student at the University of Honduras, and a former entertainment presenter on the TV station Canal 51, was shot and killed whilst travelling in a car with radio presenter Carol Cabrera. Ms. Cabrera was broadcasting live on air for her show “El ángel de la controversia” on Radio Cadena Voce, via her telephone, when the attack happened in Tegucigalpa. She was injured in the attack, suffering a broken arm and ribs, and underwent emergency surgery. Their car had been fired on at least 36 times. It is believed that Ms. Cabrera was the intended target.

On Thursday, 11 March, David Meza Montesinos, a reporter at radio station El Patio for more than 30 years, was killed while driving home in La Ceiba. His car was shot at from another vehicle, causing him to lose control and crash into a house near his own home.

On Sunday, 14 March, Nahúm Palacios Arteaga, 36, the news director for television channel Canal 5 in Aguán and host of a news programme on Radio Tocoa, was shot dead in Tocoa, Colón. Another person travelling in the car with him was severely wounded, and a cameraman riding in the back was grazed by a bullet. The car was riddled with 42 bullet holes.

In Ottawa on March 17, Peter Kent, minister of state for Latin America, put out a statement:

“Canada condemns the recent series of murders of journalists in Honduras. Violence against journalists constitutes an attack on the basic principles of freedom of the press and freedom of expression. It is particularly troubling in a country that recently emerged from a long political impasse and is now trying to achieve national reconciliation. We extend our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

“Canada calls on the Honduran authorities to promptly and thoroughly investigate these crimes and prosecute those responsible. Canada also urges the Honduran government to take all necessary measures to guarantee freedom of the press and freedom of expression."

Privacy Law Nightmare

I wrote Sunday about the bureaucratic maze faced by a family who ran into a wall when trying to access information about a family member missing in Syria for three years. Federal privacy officials told Kathryn Murray she couldn't get the requested documents relating to her missing daughter, Nicole Vienneau, without Nicole's permission. It's a cliché to say it's Kafkaesque, but it is.

Since Sunday, I've heard from many readers in similar circumstances, frustrated by officials who cite the law when withholding important information, including one woman who couldn't get what she needed relating to her husband who died on federal property.

The sad thing is it doesn't have to be this way, according to former privacy commissioner George Radwanski. He points out the letter of the law actually permits disclosure in a case such as the Vienneau case. Radwanski notes:

Section 8 of the Privacy Act provides:

"((2) Subject to any other Act of Parliament, personal information under the control of a government institution may be disclosed … (m) for any purpose where, in the opinion of the head of the institution, (i) the public interest in disclosure clearly outweighs any invasion of privacy that could result from the disclosure, or (ii) disclosure would clearly benefit the individual to whom the information relates."

 

What are known as "8(2)(m) disclosures" are permitted under the Act precisely to deal with exceptional situations like this one, where either the public interest or the interest of the person to wjom the information pertains clearly appears to outweigh the normal importance of protecting personal information. "Public interest disclosures" under this section are sometimes made, for instance, when a person regarded as a dangerous sexual offender is being released into a community.

 

The head of the government department or agency that holds the personal information in question has sole discretion to make such a disclosure. He or she is required to give the Privacy Commissioner advance notice of the intention to make such a disclosure, and the Commissioner could recommend that the disclosure is not warranted, but the Commissioner's permission isn't needed and the Commissioner cannot find such a disclosure to be a breach of the Privacy Act since the "in the opinion of" clause provides absolute discretion to the departmemnt head. Conversely, of course, the Privacy Commissioner cannot order an 8(2)(m) disclosure.

 

Radwanski suggests Nicole Vienneau's family - or others in the same boat - can contact the privacy commissioner and ask for an opinion that an 8(2) m) disclosure would be reasonable and appropriate. Adds Radwanski: "I hate to see it when the government, or anyone else, tries to make statuatory privacy rights look like an obstacle to common sense or basic fairness and decency, which they seldom are."

Honduras's Zelaya: Not with a bang but a whimper

Any last faint hope of reclaiming his presidency, even briefly, ended Jan. 27 this year, when former Honduran president Manuel Zelaya abandoned his siege in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa (although not before having his hair done) and went into exile in the Dominican Republic. It was seven months after he was ousted in a military coup in the middle of the night. New Honduran President Porfirio Lobo, sworn in that same January day, saw Zelaya off.  His departure came after the Honduran Supreme Court found seven military generals innocent of abuse of power in the coup and an amnesty was declared for both the military and Zelaya. For good measure, $1.5 million in embezzlement charges against Zelaya - a handy tool to have against ousted leaders - are still being investigated.

Last summer, it appeared international negotiations with anti-Zelaya forces (that included Peter Kent, Canada's minister of state for the Americas) were focused on allowing the ousted president to serve out his term until January. That was when the notion was still in vogue that coups are a thing of the past in Latin America. Not so much.

In its latest March/April issue, the NACLA Report examines events since June in an article entitled,  "Honduras: Whitewashing the Coup." The bi-monthly report contains some of the best reporting on the Americas and is worth a read. Unfortunately, it looks like you'll have to pick it up on the newstand or subscribe on line to get a copy. Not very helpful, I know, but for those interested in Latin America, it's a good investment.

Note to CTV newswriters

Hardly earth-shattering, but there was a funny moment Monday night (March 9) when CTV TV anchor Lloyd Robertson commented on the night's quirky story, a little piece on feel-good nationalism in the wake of the Vancouver Olympics. The piece raised the possibility such nationalism would have a lasting effect - or not. Thing was, the story by CTV's national correspondent Geneviève Beauchemin based in Montreal, originated in Quebec and showed images of Montrealers partying with the Maple Leaf after the gold medal men's hockey game, as well as interviews with people in the streets there. It examined the extent of pro-Canada feelings in Quebec, showing in contrast an establishment or two flying the Fleur-de-lys. In his wrapup, Robertson noted: "Well, it looks like the nationalists are getting a break in Quebec. Let's see how they use it."

That's weird, I thought, it doesn't make sense to say the advantage  goes to the nationalists when the report suggests the opposite. In Quebec, nationalist means Quebec nationalist. It took a second to understand his meaning. Right, he means federalists.

I wouldn't have been confused by a similar report originating in Toronto or Vancouver, but for anybody who's lived in Quebec, "nationalist" is a freighted word.

Dolphin protest at the Oscars

Human reflexes were fast in shutting down Ric O'Barry at last night's Oscars, but not fast enough for a gazillion viewers to see his Academy Awards protest sign, "Text Dolphin to 44144." O'Barry held the protest sign while sharing the Academy Award for Best Documentary film for "The Cove" about the dolphin slaughter in Japan. See video of protest.

His actions should have been no surprise. O'Barry has never pretended to be anything but an activist on behalf of dolphins, a lifelong dedication that began when he watched Flipper "commit suicide," as he put it. He said the animal drowned itself. O'Barry trained the original Flipper for the '60s TV show of the same name and continued to work with the mammal until Flipper's death made him understand living in living in captivity for dolphins is like being confined to a bathtub. Dolphins have complicated social structures, intricate ways of communicating and a territory that covers thousands of kilometres.

On the red carpet before the awards, "The Cove's" director Louie Psihoyos and O'Barry commented on "The Cove," a documentary about the annual killing of 2,000 dolphins near the Japanese fishing village of Taiji. O'Barry called it the largest slaughter of dolphins in the world.

O'Barry came to Mexico when I was based there and working on a story about dophins captured in the Pacific, trucked across Baja in abominable conditions and held in La Paz. Activist organizations were unable to obtain their release to the ocean - despite efforts of the federal enviroment secretary because the international dolphin theme park industry is too lucrative - and the animals endured living in those shallow pens during at least one, and maybe two, hurricanes, before they were shipped who knows where. Several died while at La Paz.

O'Barry opposes any form of dolphin captivity, including "swim-with-the dolphins"  programs and the use of dolphins as therapy for children with handicaps. He points out the dophins aren't really smiling; it's just a figment of our self-centred imaginations.