SPCA KIDS CAMPS
"The DANGERS of feeding iceberg lettuce to guinea pigs and rabbits is just one of the points of responsible animal care that hundreds of B.C. youth learned at SPCA Youth Camps this summer. Kids also explored the socialization needs of cats, dog communication, the value of spaying and neutering and an array of other animal issues. In 11 B.C. communities, including all of the Lower Mainland, the SPCA provided summer youth day camps to help instil compassion, caring and responsibility toward animals in children 8 to 12. "
"Kids love animals, but they don't always realize how much work it is to have a pet or appreciate the commitment involved," says Craig Naherniak, general manager, humane education."The camps provide a fun atmosphere to teach children about animal care and the work of he SPCA and about how they can make a difference for animals in their community."The camps also focus on developing respectful relationships between people and between people and nature."We encourage kids to show respect and compassion for all living things-be it a pet, a wild animal or another person." says Naherniak. "When children experience and demonstrate empathy towards others we are one step closer to creating a more humane society.""

This is one program I can find no fault in. Teaching the children in our present society to respect and value all animals is to be applauded. Hopefully, this program can be expanded this next summer.

However, the BC SPCA in it's insistence in maintaining an unlimited surrender policy is behaving like a parent who says "Do what I say, not what I do".

Unlimited surrender allows people to dump their animals and encourages the belief that animals are simply disposable or recyclable. Unlimited surrender is a complete contradiction to what is being taught above.

The BC SPCA has to look within and decide what the society wants for its animals.

To accept any animal into the "guardianship" of the society knowing full well that the funds to provide proper remediation for the animal are not available is WRONG. Limiting the dollar amount available to each animal ensures many animals will need to either be killed or sold in pain. How can this be acceptable to a society who is supposed "to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves"?

To SELL the animal without providing the veterinary care required is WRONG.

To KILL the animal without providing reasonable veterinary care is also VERY WRONG. $200 today is not enough to provide adequate care and the fact this amount is not cumulative is simply providing an excuse to euthanise the ones that need the most help. ( I thought the society was formed to help these ones.)

To SELL the animal without first spaying and neutering the animal is WRONG unless the animal is to small or young to do safely. Then follow-up needs to be provided.

To accept any animal in any condition into the "guardianship" of the BC SPCA and promise to find it the perfect home because someone is willing to donate a large sum to provide care for their surviving pet is also WRONG. Making the BC SPCA a society who provides one type of care to stray , abandoned or injured animals (the one's the society was formed to help) and another type of care to those animals whose owners who can donate large sums changes the whole perception of the society. Perhaps the "we speak for those who cannot speak for themselves" should be changed to "we speak for those whose owners can pay us to help them".

If the BC SPCA expects the donating public and the children in our society to believe in the Society the BC SPCA HAS TO START accepting and providing the care for the animals in its "guardianship" that they speak and teach about.