TORONTO -- Toronto Humane Society staff should be literally back in the doghouse today.

Employees, locked out since the OSPCA raided the charity last month, are expected to be allowed into the River St. shelter around 9 a.m. The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will still have control over animal care in the facility, however.

The OSPCA executed a search warrant at the shelter at the end of November and charged former president Tim Trow and four other senior society employees with animal cruelty.

"We're going to comply with the judge's order and we'll enter at 9 a.m. and we'll hope the OSPCA will do the same," said spokesman Ian McConachie.

A notice of action was filed last week by the THS accusing the OSPCA of defamation, trespass and negligent investigation. McConachie referred questions about the multi-million-dollar lawsuit to lawyer Frank Addario, who could not be reached for comment yesterday.

'STAND BY EVERYTHING'

OSPCA lawyer Brian Shiller said the lawsuit will be vigorously opposed. "We stand by everything we've done," Shiller said. "The Toronto Humane Society needs to start focusing their attention on animal care instead of on lawsuits."

Not all THS employees have been locked out since the raid on Nov. 26.

Shiller said many current employees, along with former staffers and volunteers, have continued to work in the shelter to help the OSPCA care for the animals.

Animal cruelty allegations and the lawsuit aren't the only court matters still to be resolved between the two charities. An application by the OSPCA to have a public guardian appointed to oversee the THS and to elect a new board is expected to be heard next month.

"Our priority is animal care and if we have to get into a big legal mess to ensure that the animals are properly cared for then that's what we will do," Shiller said.

DON.PEAT@SUNMEDIA.CA