From: Patricia [mailto:pjbest@telus.net]
Sent: July 28, 2003 6:46 PM
To: Craig Daniell
Subject: Re: Please Read and please respond.....help these dogs....

Dear Mr. Daniell

Thank you for contacting me. On Friday when one of us (the foster Parents of the dogs) tried to talk to Ms.Drever in Chilliwack, we were concerned and frustrated. But after Ms. Drever insulted Amy by hanging up on her and calling us clueless several times, frustration and concern has turned into outrage and disillusionment with the SPCA.

We, were at that point trying to contact anyone at the SPCA who would talk to us, to see if we could help with legal fees to take the owner to court or outright buy the dogs from the owner but we were treated so rudely by Ms. Drever we took it to the next level.

Now, we are staying at the next level, we as a group have found so much disappointing information about the SPCA, that it is impossible to just say all is okay.

Ms. Drever said we are just clueless volunteers...well statistically volunteers make up an enormous part of the North American work force. Volunteers are the grease that keep the SPCA funding machine wheels turning. My business has raised money for the local SPCA...my daughter another foster parent has a 500.00 cheque sitting on her desk that she raised through her work for the local SPCA. How do you think she feels about forwarding that cheque she volunteered her time for. She works for a major financial institution that raises thousands of dollars for the SPCA, she though hesitantly is forwarding this cheque, is in the position of choosing future charities for donations, I can assure you the SPCA will not be on that list.

You state that this is an expensive procedure, well if Ms. Drever had taken the time to talk to us rather than hanging up, she may have found that this group of clueless volunteers are all in good financial position as well as a group of very strong fundraisers.

Well these volunteers are on a different track now, we want answers...as to why the SPCA returned these dogs...why they were not sterilized before return...why no charges were laid...why we were treated so rudely by Ms Drever and ignored by the SPCA until today...

I will contact my MLA but not only for change of legislation but also to have Ms. Drever dismissed as well as ask the same questions from the SPCA that we are.

Ms. Drever should have learned after so many years in a public job, just like I did many years ago be careful how you treat people because one of those people you are rude to may turn out to be your worst nightmare...well I say to Ms. Drever welcome to my nightmare..

As I woke, at 7 am hot and clammy with the sun beating in my bedroom window, my first thought of the day was that of heartbreak..all I could think about was the mistreated animals we loved and would have welcome into our community sitting in their crates with little or no water or as Ms. Drever was quoted dirty water.....and that I had failed them.

Mr. Daniell, I want to make it very clear that I am a woman who runs 2 businesses, I am in the process of building a new restaurant, am extremely busy with local fundraising and politics..I am not a woman watching soaps, eating bon bons and tending my garden...your employee's ( Ms Drever) treatment of the situation and the volunteers and the new knowledge of the SPCA's lack of commitment to the protection of animals is what motivates me now, if I have to tack a few more hours on to my busy day to keep this up I will gladly will because I feel I have failed these animals and if I can make a difference in changing the system for the future...then it is worth the extra work.

Sincerely,

Patricia Josh Best