September 14, 2003

Craig Daniell,
Manager of Cruelty Investigations,
BC SPCA

Re: Prosecuting for psychological neglect of a dog

Dear Mr Daniell,

In late April you told me that you planned to seize five dogs that were suffering from psychological neglect early in May. You were hopeful that you could convince Crown to lay charges and if the case went to trial that you would use expert witness testimony, perhaps even bringing in an expert with previous successful trial experience in the U. S.

I have heard nothing further.

One of Animal Advocates supporters has been reporting the neglect of a dog to the Surrey SPCA for many months. When she received no satisfaction, she phoned Helen York, the BC SPCA Special Animal Protection Officer for Surrey, early in August. Ms York told our supporter that she had a lot of cases that she cannot get Crown to accept.

This AAS supporter is the wife of a Senior Appellate Counsel of many years experience both provincially and federally. He offered to look at the cases and see if he could encourage the prosecutors to accept some or all of Ms York's reports. Ms York has not contacted him to take advantage of his offer.

Perhaps you are working proactively to get cases of psychological neglect and abuse before the courts, but on the face of it, it is not possible to believe that the SPCA is sincere in its professions of concern for psychologically abused dogs, nor in its professed intention to "raise the bar" on prosecutions for this form of distress.

Would you please tell me if the five dogs were seized as planned and if you have sent a report to Crown and if so, what did Crown do? And if Crown would not lay charges, what became of the dogs (if they were seized)?

Please also tell me if currently you have any reports before Crown re psychologically neglected dogs.

Judy Stone, President,
Animal Advocates Society of BC