"The message is clear - if you are inflicting cruelty to animals, including psychological and emotional abuse, you will be charged."

That statement was made by Craig Daniell, Manager of Cruelty Investigations and CEO in the BC SPCA's Fall Animal Sense magazine.

Do tell Mr Daniell because we have not heard of any dog seized on the grounds of psychological or emotional suffering. If the BC SPCA has actually done this, where is the press release informing the media so the media can inform the public so that this news can have the desired effect of making anyone who is inflicting psychological suffering think twice about it?

That is one of the primary reason for law enforcement - that it educates as well as criminalizes. And the SPCA never tires of boasting about all the education it does.

AAS receives calls about psychologically suffering dogs almost daily. We have included many in our reports to the SPCA. We are never going to stop until the SPCA stops this heart-breaking abuse of dogs. We get as many dogs as we can out of their miserable existences and we rehabilitate them until they are well enough to be rehomed...no matter how long it takes, or how much it costs... and it is costing us thousands a month.

We suspect that if the SPCA has not trumpeted the news that it has seized a dog for psychological suffering that the reason may be that it would open the flood gates of demands that it seize thousands more dogs, and it has spent no money preparing for this. It does not have trained rehabilitators or humane shelters in which to help these dogs. It does not have enough dog-savvy foster homes. It does not have any of the structure to provide real animal welfare, it has only bottom-line pounds staffed with too many career animal disposers.

The SPCA has been hoisted by its own petard. It got itself into this mess by ignoring psychological suffering (as well as ignoring gross physical suffering - in fact all suffering) for decades.

It can only get out of the mess it created by being completely honest and starting its reform with the welfare of the animals it seizes, accepts, and impounds. Only then will its critics stop criticising and start helping it. But it just doesn't seem to get it.....

Ignored by the SPCA....