On Sept. 26th, 2023, according to staff and volunteers, Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) launched a massive military-style raid on the non-profit organization, Mally’s Third Chance Raccoon Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre. Traumatized staff and volunteers reported some 40 to 50 conservation officers and personnel, aerial support, drones, and a canine unit ambushed their centre. They indicated the MNRF inhumanely seized nearly 100 raccoons, many healthy, vaccinated and ready for release. How can Minister Smith allow such extreme use of force? Why were the raccoons seized? We demand the release of these raccoons into the capable hands of an authorized Wildlife Custodian.
On Sept. 26th, 2023, according to staff and volunteers, Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) launched a massive military-style raid on the non-profit organization, Mally’s Third Chance Raccoon Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre. Traumatized staff and volunteers reported some 40 to 50 conservation officers and personnel, aerial support, drones, and a canine unit ambushed their centre. They indicated the MNRF inhumanely seized nearly 100 raccoons, many healthy, vaccinated and ready for release. How can Minister Smith allow such extreme use of force? Why were the raccoons seized? We demand the release of these raccoons into the capable hands of an authorized Wildlife Custodian.
What Happened at Mally's
The Day of the Raid Up Until Now
Those on site helping at Mally's on that day reported that the MNRF terrorized the rescue operators, community volunteers and the precious raccoons when they took a heavy-handed and aggressive approach with a full-scale raid. During this military-style raid, those present reported that the Ministry deployed 40-50 conservation officers and personnel, a plane, helicopter(s), several drones and a canine unit - all with Ontario taxpayer's dollars.
During the seizure, those at Mally's shared that the MNRF officers and personnel inhumanely seized the raccoons who were in receipt of medical care and rehabilitation at the centre and crammed them into disproportionately sized trap cages and loaded them vertically onto open truck beds, gravely compromising their well being. The staff and volunteers indicated that the majority of these raccoons were healthy, fully vaccinated juveniles merely days away from being released back into the wild.
Mally's has reported that the MNRF has continued, for 4 excruciating weeks, to stonewall their custodian and manager, other wildlife custodians, volunteers, animal rights & advocacy groups, the media, and the general public as to why the raccoons were seized, where they have been taken and why such excessive use of force were employed for alleged regulatory issues, that could have otherwise been addressed through a simple and random site inspection. According to Mally's staff, over the last 18 months, authorized wildlife custodian's requests for compliance inspections went ignored by their MNRF Representative.
This is not the first time this sort of unjustified and inhumane action has occurred, therefore, causing the public deep concern that the raccoons may be used for in-lab research, similar to what happened to the raccoons seized from the care of the Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre in 2002. We are very concerned for the raccoons' safety, well-being and whereabouts. According to Mally's, there has been zero transparency from the MNRF, just blanketed statements, and therefore, none of us know if they are still alive or if they are being used for research. We want answers from the Ministry!