We received a letter written to the Board of Directors of the Red Deer SPCA (a separate society from other SPCAs in Alberta) from Eva Taylor, signed by her and six other employee of the Red Deer SPCA, listing many inhumane actions and policies they had documented and asking that the Executive Director be fired.

Like many SPCAs, the Red Deer SPCA has a pound contract to dispose of stray dogs while it also gets donations because of its status as a charitable animal welfare organization.

Combining the two ways to make money disposing of unwanted pets is a very common business, at least in North America. Many big so-called animal welfare societies also have paid animal disposal contracts. They make money disposing of people's unwanted pets by accepting owner-surrendered pets and then selling the sellable or killing the unsellable, and heavily promoting that as "animal welfare". And more money is made by contracts with municipalities to collect and dispose of dogs (and sometimes cats). Most of the time donators are completely unaware of the other business side of the charity.

Eva Taylor's description of the attitude to animals and the treatment of them at the Red Deer SPCA is old news to AAS where in BC the BC SPCA has many dog disposal contacts.

The employees' letter is dated September 1st. In Eva's November 7th email to AAS she describes how the Directors of the Red Deer SPCA have buried the complaints:

"I am utterly disgusted with the actions of the Red Deer and District SPCA and the Alberta SPCA. The staff at the RD&D SPCA took the initiative to write to its board members with complaints of neglect and abuse by the animal care manager and the executive director. These actions include (removed. When the board refused action against the executive director the staff took the initiative once again and called the Alberta SPCA. The investigating officer had pictures and several complaints and proof of such neglect from others outside the SPCA as well. The board of the Alberta SPCA and the board of the Red Deer SPCA then met and decided that since the animal care manager was since let go, that no further action should be taken. In my opinion the animal care manager and the executive director should be charged but because the RD&D SPCA is in the middle of a major fundraising campaign for a new building all of this would be swept under the carpet and the executive director that allowed and ignored all this abuse is still working there. I have the original copy of the letter sent to the board and would be happy to share it with anyone who needs to see it. I will tell everyone I come in contact with all that happened. I am just sick to think that people trust the SPCA and donate their hard earned dollars to a farce of a charity."

Eva turned to AAS for advise and we advised her that in the more than fifty years of documentation we have amassed about similar BC SPCA actions and policies, not one person or employee ever changed anything unless they made their evidence public. Covering up and carrying on, by the Boards and the Executive, is normal business practice. These animal disposal agencies have big budgets for P.R. and they have schmoozed the media for decades. If anyone has the courage to finally speak out, the average person is almost speechless with disbelief. We have seen it over and over: telling animal lovers the facts of pet disposal is like telling a five-year old that Santa is a sham.

We advised Eva and the other employees to take their evidence to the media. But they should be prepared for war.

Eva may share the letter with you if you write her at t4170225@telus.net