I am the co-ordinator for a well-known animal welfare society in Victoria and last week I had the opportunity to discuss unlimited surrender of old animals to the BC SPCA with a veterinarian who owns a very respected, established practice in Victoria.This veterinarian has many clientele that have been with him the whole length of a many animals lives and he is very familiar with the heartbreak owners go through when it is time to put an animal to sleep.

We discussed at great length the BC SPCA accepting these old animals as both he and I feel this is terribly wrong.

We discussed the difference between dumping these old animals at the end of a logging road or at the BC SPCA and concluded most people could not dump their dogs at the end of a logging road as in their hearts they know it is immoral and inhumane.

We also concluded that the BC SPCA is very wrong accepting these animals into their shelters. These very old animals are not adoptable and do not deserve to be dumped at a facility to die. The BC SPCA should not be condoning the dumping of these animals in their facilities as it on one hand claims to educate on owner responsibility, and on the other hand accepts animals no questions asked, absolving owners of all responsibility.

These animals deserve to be treated as the loyal companions they have been and in my opinion, which the vet echoed, the BC SPCA should instead help with humane euthanasia at a vet when presented with these animals, but only if the owners cannot afford it themselves.

The owners need to be responsible.

The SPCA facilitating the dumping of these dogs in their facilities is no less despicable than the owners dumping them at the end of a logging road.

This is one place the BC SPCA could start with Plan C.

Come on BC SPCA put the animal first....not the potential of donation from the owner.