I would like to thank the OSPCA (Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) for doing a job well done while their hands are tied behind their backs because elected officials don’t see the bigger picture here.

I have the highest regard for the OSPCA and the limitations they have to work with and how difficult it must be for them to sit back and feel so helpless while these animals are sitting in these conditions.

I hope that council’s failure to act doesn’t result in the demise of a child or an unsuspecting neighbour; then council will be dealing with a lawsuit. God forbid that day ever comes.

Mr. Guha needs to take extreme measures to ensure those cats don’t get loose again and a tranquilizer gun and video cameras are not going to be the answer. Mr. Guha has already communicated the fact that to care for his cats properly he is in need of funding. Does that include building new and safe enclosures that are up to standards and which also give the big cats some comfort, clean water, relief from the heat and, more importantly, peace of mind for the residents of Muskoka?

Mr. Guha has to quit pointing the finger at someone else for tampering with this beautiful jaguar cage and take responsibility for his lack of action to keeping his establishment in good repair.

I think it is ridiculous that council is comparing the black bear risk to these exotic animals and that they again are just passing the buck on a situation that needs top priority for the peace of mind of the people residing in the immediate area, but also for the comfort of these big cats. If Guha loves them like he claims he does, he will make the right decision here for his cats, before they see the same fate as his beloved Bhino.

Sometimes the hardest decisions, Mr. Guha, are the right ones in the long run, and I hope you make this decision the right one.

I have followed every newspaper article on this subject and I hope that something positive will come out of all of this. Council needs to step up to the plate and make a decision on an already well-informed case to safeguard this situation.

It will take a split second for all the members to come together or it will take a split second for something tragic to happen. Give it some time, it will be news again.

Karen Clark

Gravenhurst