Charges withdrawn against former Humane Society heads

Charges against former Toronto Humane Society president Tim Trow and other former THS leaders were dropped this morning because of the way a raid was executed back in November.

According to the Toronto Star, the Crown dropped the charges after crown attorney Christine McGoey convinced the court that the search warrant obtained for the OSPCA raid involved "several serious breaches" of the Canadian Charter of Rights' protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

McGoey said that proceeding with charges would have brought the "administration of justice into question."

The raid was executed last November as Trow and four other men were led out of the THS in handcuffs. Three of the men were charged with criminal animal cruelty, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, and obstruction of a peace officer. The entire board of directors was charged with non-criminal animal cruelty.

Controversy followed the raid as THS supporters claimed the OSPCA was trying to destroy a fundraising rival, and the OSPCA later acknowledged its lead investigator had begun dating a THS staffer. That's all very juicy of course, but where's the justice for the animals?

After being closed in April, a new board of directors was selected in May and the THS re-opened late June.