I think this is the most serious case I have heard yet. I was told recently by the SPCA that TWO camp assessors have to sign off on a dog to be PTS. I was also told that the dogs are held three days prior to assessment testing. As far as I know there is no "cat test" included in CAMP and most shelters don't do the dog test! So how it is that this dog failed anything?

When I was trying to set up the rescue guidelines with Cindy Soules (BC SPCA employee who may have been the only sincere animal-lover at the SPCA and who was fired by the CEO, Craig Daniell), breed information was included.

CAMP does NOT take into consideration breed traits - some breeds will hunt and kill. I have never understood why breed traits are not looked at. One of the breeds I help is known to be aloof and aggressive in a shelter situation and yet they do NOT take that into consideration while testing a shiba. Shibas will kill anything small and furry. They are a hunting dog, so does that mean all the shibas should be killed?

Once again I wish the SPCA and various pounds would find REAL behaviorists to do these tests, take into consideration breed behaviors that are known and work to find the dog an appropriate home. Most of the dogs I've had in rescue were very close to getting the needle at various pounds, including the SPCA and I haven't had a problem placing them in proper breed knowledgeable homes.

Breed aside ANY dog can be properly placed, if the rescuer or worker spends time with it, gets to know it and knows where to place it. This is another area most 'shelters' lack. They don't screen homes or spend time with the dogs so how could they place a dog properly?

As much as I love cats I don't think it's a reason for euthanasia. My dogs kill rats which are considered a companion animal so I guess they would be PTS, but yet that's what they were bred for.