The Province
June 13, 2004

B.C. SPCA should be probed by someone with bloodhound nose by Jon Ferry

"Fines for heinous acts of animal cruelty are ludicrously low. Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Daniell noted the maximum fine is a paltry $2,000, even for those in the highly lucrative "puppy-mill" business.

And that needs to be changed. Which is one of the reasons Daniell has sought a meeting with Agriculture Minister John van Dongen. "I would like to see something substantially higher than the $2,000," he said Friday."

Mr. Daniell fails to mention the thousands of dollars worth of seizure costs that animal neglecters are forced to pay the SPCA. Some SPCA seizure costs are in the hundreds of thousands, and in one case that we know of, a home was seized. But puzzlingly enough, some neglecters have their animals returned to them once seizure costs have been paid, which in a sense deflates Daniell's let-the-punishment-fit-the-crime balloon.

"Yet, our governments haven't responded to the clear public will that defenceless animals be protected and cared for with far greater compassion. As far as municipal governments are concerned, Daniell said, "animal issues are always relegated to the bottom of the pile. Unfortunately, animals don't vote."

AAS had its own Humane Treatment of Dogs bylaw passed in eleven lower mainland municipalities. It took a lot of work, but it got done. AAS spoke up, and eleven municipalities listened. When has the SPCA ever asked for municipal legislation? How can Daniell accuse municipal governments of not responding when the SPCA hasn't even asked? Worse yet, the SPCA never used AAS's bylaw to stop suffering in any of the municipalities where it was adopted and the SPCA was the enforcer.

Yes, animal welfare is a community responsibility, but a lot of people give the SPCA a lot of money to use its power to lead the way. So far it hasn't led the way at all, or even followed for that matter. Its current CEO's words are hollow, and tiresome to all those who are doing the real animal welfare work in BC.