The Canadian SPCA will appear in court Wednesday in a bid to win control of an internet web name that many people think already belongs to it.
Spca.com is currently owned by the humane society's former director Pierre Barnoti.
The site has links to animal care, animal adoptions, and instructions on how to donate money to help abandoned animals, however note of that money ever reaches the Canadian SPCA.
The Montreal-based group has hired Marc-Andre Blain to seek an injunction claiming Barnoti unlawfully gained control of the website, thus creating confusion in the minds of donors.
"What we're saying is that somebody else is using the property of the Canadian SPCA to collect money around the world, using a web site with the domain name spca dot com," said Blain.
The Canadian SPCA claims Barnoti, who was fired last year amid allegations of mismanagement and financial irregularities, took over the domain name, and registered it himself, for his personal benefit.
"We think it was not properly presented to the board and we think it was not transferred properly with all due authorizations requested by law, and that we'll try to prove that in front of the court," said Blain.
Barnoti is currently suing CTV for defamation after a series of reports on the shelter.
He claims he registered the web site legally, with the full consent of his former board of directors.
Barnoti and his lawyer declined to speak to the media as he left the courtroom Tuesday morning.
