Reserve residents denied puppy
Tsartlip area offers poor health conditions for dogs, SPCA says

Judith Lavoie
Times Colonist
Tuesday, May 18, 2004

A Brentwood Bay family is complaining of discrimination after being told by the Victoria SPCA they couldn't adopt a dog because they live on a reserve.

Marie and Muavae Va'a, who recently built a house on the Tsartlip Reserve, have applied to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal for a hearing and say they want reserve residents to have the same right to adopt an SPCA animal as someone living in Oak Bay.

Valerie Lykkermark, Victoria SPCA shelter manager, said there is no policy which says puppies cannot be adopted to people living on reserves, but the aim is to ensure every animal goes to the best possible home. That means looking at the safety and health of the surrounding community as well as the home and there are concerns about dogs running free and an outbreak of distemper on a Saanich Peninsula reserve, she said.

"The SPCA has the right to refuse anyone in terms of adoption. Our first role is to look after the welfare of the animals," she said.

In the last week, there have been complaints from the reserve about two vicious dogs running free. A puppy suffering from skin problems has cost the SPCA thousands of dollars in vet fees and the puppies with distemper have had to be put down, Lykkermark said.

"Canine distemper is something we haven't seen in 25 years," she said.

Also, the SPCA does not have jurisdiction on reserves, which is federal land, making followup visits difficult, she said.

Many dogs have several people wanting to adopt them and the SPCA does adoption counselling to find the best possible match, rather than first-come, first-served, Lykkermark said.

"This is not about (the Va'a family) as individuals. We were just concerned about the community it was going into and the illnesses. There were other people who were interested that could offer a better environment," she said.

"It's unfortunate, but I feel comfortable we were making a decision based on the animal's welfare," Lykkermark said.

Couples who work long hours and leave the animal alone, families who move frequently and cannot provide stability and young people who might have difficulty finding somewhere suitable to rent are examples of people who might be told they cannot adopt a dog, Lykkermark said.

One of the first questions is whether the house has a fenced yard and the Va'a house was not fenced, although they were willing to put up a temporary fence immediately and later replace it with a permanent fence.

Muavae Va'a said after his wife was told she could not have the puppy -- even though she had previously filled in application forms and the family had visited the shelter at least four times. They also checked the adoption Web site regularly and he offered to sign a contract with the SPCA allowing them to come and check on the dog whenever they wanted.

If they were not satisfied with its care in three months, the dog would be returned, he said.

But, the offer was refused and Marie Va'a said she was told by SPCA staff to look for a puppy on the reserve.

"I left there feeling very belittled and upset. I felt discriminated against -- that because I lived on a reserve I do not have the same rights as other members of society to adopt a dog," she said.

It was particularly difficult to explain to the children that they could not have the puppy they had chosen because of where they live, Marie Va'a said.

The family asked friends and neighbors if they knew anyone in the community with puppies for sale, but, could not find any, she said.

Lykkermark said she suggested the family find another puppy and the SPCA would help with the cost of spaying or neutering and shots.

"I saw it as a way of trying to build bridges with the communities," she said.

Meanwhile, the Va'a family have bought another puppy and expect it to arrive next week, when the German shepherd is nine weeks old.

"We are still trying to decide what to name him," Marie Va'a said.