CAUTION: This article includes explicit descriptions of violence that could be unsettling to certain readers.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are conducting an investigation into an incident involving two officers in northern Ontario, after a disturbing video surfaced showing an axe being used to dispatch a suffering deer. The video was posted on social media by Animal Justice, a Canadian animal law advocacy group, on Tuesday.
The video has prompted outrage and calls for accountability from the public and animal rights advocates. In the video, two officers can be seen attempting to euthanize the injured deer using the side of an axe. The deer had reportedly been hit by a vehicle and was critically injured and suffering. Instead of using a safe and humane method, the officers struck the deer in the head with the blunt end of the axe, leaving it to die slowly in agony. Witnesses reported that the deer’s suffering lasted for over an hour.
According to Shannon Nickerson, communications manager for Animal Justice, a code of conduct complaint has been filed against the officers involved in the incident. Nickerson criticized the officers for their actions, stating that they had numerous more reasonable options available to them. These options included calling local animal services, seeking advice from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, or contacting a local animal rehabilitation center for guidance on how to humanely euthanize the animal.
OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson confirmed that the incident occurred in a residential area of Kenora on September 3. While he acknowledged that officers are authorized under the Police Services Act to use their firearms to dispatch animals that are suffering, he did not provide specific details on the incident.
In response to the video, OPP released a statement expressing their concern and emphasizing that the actions seen in the video are not in line with the training or expectations for their officers. An internal investigation is currently underway by the OPP professional standards unit.
The video has raised questions about the appropriate procedures for dispatching injured animals and the need for additional training to ensure humane treatment in such situations. Animal rights advocates are calling for transparency and accountability in the investigation and are hoping that the incident will lead to changes in how similar cases are handled in the future.