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i n I ' LIVE RICH IN GUELPH OSPCA officers thoroughly inspect conditions of circus animals: Dewar C a right of inspection for animals used for the show. An officer is present at the time of arrival to check on the welfare of the animals and ensures proper standards of care are maintained. To date. Dewar says he cannot recall any in- stanchin‘which this circus breached any of W the requirements Minedjn the OSPCA Act. stancgguipmwhich this circus breached any of the outlinede the OSPCA Act, which was amended in 2009.?6Wnsuveall ani- which was amended in 200§‘t“6“éhsure~all ani- mals â€"- not just cats and dogs â€" are given appropriate standards of care. 'That's been a huge change and has really helped in addressing any concerns we may have about animal cruelty," said Dewar. These standards of care include appropri- ate lighting, ventilation, housing free of garâ€" bage, urine, feces and debris, food and water requirements and veterinary care in case of sickness or injury. What is most unnerving for Piskoroski is the training tool used on the elephants â€" the an- kus. Consisting of a hook attached to a 60- to 90-cm handle, the ankus is, by design, intend- ed to hurt the animals, claimed Piskoriski. ,Solheim was quick to point out the ankus ha‘kQ been used to train elephants for hundreds of years and is simply designed to be a two-foot extension on an arm that can guide the foot. moulder and neck into different positions. 1tputsthetrainersinasafeposition.Theel- 50' BUNGALOFTS NEXT TO PROTEC‘I’ED CONSERVATION ephant can't hear them or take verbal cues and the trainers might be out of sight. If they are unsure of what’s below them, something bad can happen. These things weigh 8,000 pounds,” he added. Removing elephants from the wild for the purpose of entertaining the masses also ag- gravated Piskoriski. 'They are taken from their natural habitat at a very young age and are deprived of all that is natural to them," he wrote. But according to Solheim, the elephants were already in North America when they were ac- quired by the circus. He added, elephants in captivity live well into their 70s and 805, while those in the wild bare- ly reach 25 years old. 'lt's not like they’re in the wild and having to find food and water. They have everything provided for them. They’re extremely content and relaxed.” Solheim added that he’s used to the criticism from animal rights enthusiasts, with protests and email blasts becoming a staple to his job. “There appears to be a lot of vocal people Wm. But in truth, there’s very few. They “ _ ealotofnoisethoughi'hetoldtheCham- Dewar said in the 18,000 cases the OSPCA in- vestigated last year, not one came from the Shrine Circus. If someone was found in breach of the re- quirements outlined in the OSPCA Act, and failed not to make the necessary changes to meet the standards, they could face two years in prison and a $60,000 fine. WWbuildshomes andoormuitiesWflreGTAl: SouflrwestemOntariomatareelegarmwarm andpovkcflysdbdtoyourlifestyhbm ‘,-A- _- A- J_A- annuityme Cmbmhmxyfbummm CRa-WN wmmm HI COOCOPIIM Cl“!!! COLLECTION The circus will be in Milton all weekend, startâ€" ‘2' ing Friday at 4 pm. at the Milton Fairgrounds. 8 Rachael Williams can be reached at rwilllams@ a miltancanadianchampion.com or on Twitter @ â€" MiltonReports. I; r DUN SIRE DEVELOPMENTS SumswthehGoflCmm Urmembthnb