Ex-SPCA prez says society needs more provincial $$$

VANCOUVER(CKNWAM980)--The red ink continues to flow at the BC SPCA, with the animal protection society now $4.6 million in the hole.

That figure was confirmed over the weekend at the annual general meeting, although SPCA past-president Rick Sargent says they've managed to stem the flood, which saw the Society spend $500,000.00 per month more than it was taking in.

But Sargent says the province should be contributing more.

He says enforcing the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act is a very expensive job, for which the province is only paying $70,000.00 per year.

"If you can imagine putting the equivalent of police officers on the roads and trying to convict criminals, we probably spend more than 3 million dollars a year on that, and the provincial government gives us about 70,000 dollars. What other provincial laws exist where the government just says 'oh, we don't enforce it, but if this volunteer organization can raise the money, they can enforce it'?"