Dogs aren't welcome there
Times Colonist
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Victoria SPCA won't let Marie and Muavae Va'a adopt one of its puppies because they live on the Tsartlip Reserve at Brentwood Bay, where cases of distemper among dogs have been found and there a lot of animals running loose.
It's right that the society should be concerned for the welfare of the animals in its care and should try to find them the best and safest homes possible. And SPCA shelter manager Valerie Lykkermarke says the society would never allow an unvaccinated dog to go to live among animals with distemper.
But there's a gnawing question about this case. Would a family off-reserve in Brentwood Bay be denied a puppy because of the distemper outbreak down the road? Would a family in View Royal or Oak Bay be denied a puppy if there was distemper in their neighbourhood?
We can't tell, because it's been a long time since there's been a distemper outbreak among dogs in the Greater Victoria area -- so long that veterinarians to whom the SPCA has turned to help with the Tsartlip outbreak can't remember a case.
The Va'as, though, after talking to several SPCA workers, have the distinct impression that the reason they can't get one of the shelter dogs for their two kids is because they live on a reservation. They've been told that because their house is on a reservation, under federal jurisdiction, getting access to allow society personnel to conduct follow-up visits would be difficult.
They've offered to build a fence to keep their puppy away from the other dogs. They've offered to sign a contract to give the SPCA staff authority to check on the dog whenever they want. But to no avail -- they say they've been discriminated against and have filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. They've also found a puppy somewhere else.
And they're taking it back to a reservation that's fine for human beings, but not, in some cases, for dogs.