Pet Survivor Care Program" "Providing Peace of Mind for Pet Guardians" page 23 Fall 2003 Animal Sense Magazine
Every month I, as co-ordinator for a spay and neuter society in Victoria, am asked to rehome the pet or pets of someone who has passed away.
Sometimes these animals are still young and healthy but usually these animals are old and in many cases the victims of benign neglect.
Recently our society had a life member pass away who left behind three elderly cats. All of these cats badly needed dental work and extractions.
Providing the veterinary care was the easy part. Now we have 3 old cats over the age of 15 to find a home for.
I have one and the veterinary assistant at the clinic where they were treated agreed to provide palliative care for the other two as these cats are in a true sense unadoptable to the general public.
I also provide foster care for three old dogs whose owners periodically need short-term hospitalisation. These old dogs are also in a real sense not adoptable if something should happen to their owners.
While many people think it possible, in reality, very few people can commit to a 12 to 15 year old dog and the challenges these old darlings bring with them.
How many people can handle cleaning up the puddle of pee that happens immediately when the dog wakes up no matter where it is?
How many people can handle the droppings on the carpet before the dog makes it to the door to do its business?
How many people can handle the crying and the sadness of an loyal old dog separated from its master or mistress?
This is often only part of the reality of an old dog and I am very sceptical that the BC SPCA can keep the promises it is making on page 23 of Animal Sense Fall 2003.
"THE PET SURVIVOR CARE PROGRAM means I can specify the kind of home my pets will go to."
Here is a list of older animals the BC SPCA is guardian to at the moment:
http://www.brindleweb.com/bbs/index.cgi?read=30430
If rehoming old animals to a specific type of home is so easy why are these dogs waiting and waiting?
Finally, while I fully support the BC SPCA being left legacies to help carry on the Society's core work I am concerned about the two-tier philosophy this program represents.
Was the BC SPCA formed to promise to provide specialized care to those pets whose owners leave a legacy to the BC SPCA or was
The BC SPCA formed to "speak for those who cannot speak for themselves" .
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Read also:
BC SPCA "Pet Survivor Program" money maker. What a crock! http://www.animaladvocates.com/cgi-bin/newsroom.pl/read/3607
The BC SPCA Pet Survivor Care Program is possibly as low as it gets. http://www.animaladvocates.com/cgi-bin/newsroom.pl/read/2758