Max's Story
A number of years ago when my husband and I were volunteer dog walkers at the North Vancouver SPCA we arrived one Saturday for our usual walk and we saw a beautiful GS who had just come up for adoption. He was evidently a problem dog which the staff had considered euthanizing.
He had been found injured & after recovering at one of the vet hospitals (where were told later that he had been a model patient) he had been sent to the SPCA & held to see if his owner turned up to claim him as he had no I.D.
For the first few days he was there he had evidently bitten one of the staff, stood growling in his kennel & wouldn't go to anyone. Luckily, one of the female staff was able to make friends with him and persuaded her co-workers to give him a chance with his problems.
Well, I took him for a walk & he was so great that 2 hours later adopted him and took him home.
Almost immediately after getting him out of the kennel, as soon as we reached some grass and bushes he relieved himself over and over. He had obviously been holding it for as long as he could & after we had had him a couple of days it became very clear that he was extremely housetrained!
Now it was also quite clear WHY he had behaved the way he had in the kennel as he was in distress at having to relieve himself inside! In the following years that we had Max he would never relieve himself anywhere other than on grass or he backed up into a bush.
Max would have failed the SPCA's new assessment & all because these so-called experts would not have realised what was causing his aggressive behaviour.
Max was a wonderful & loving companion and was with us for a number of years until he finally passed away. He touched many people's hearts. One day a week he went to work with my husband & was a great favourite. Many of the businesses & our bank used to keep treats for him & kids just loved him as he was so gentle & calm with them. He came with us to the shelter on some of the walks and was also very popular with the staff & volunteers alike.
Basically, the bottom line is that this SPCA dog assessment has to be changed. It is unfair, uncaring & lacks a proper knowledge of the real behaviour of dogs.
A year ago, my husband e-mailed Craig Daniell an overview of the assessment used by the RSPCA in England. It is very different to the one used here & initially Craig seemed quite interested in it. However, nothing has come of that! It certainly seems as if the BCSPCA is not open to other ideas even when it is shown over and over again that it is on the wrong track.
I commend Amanda & Kirsten for their brave & courageous stand in saving Cheech from being unfairly euthanized. The SPCA was recorded on one of the TV stations as saying that "Amanda could not win on this issue." WRONG - it is the SPCA that cannot win as their standing in the eyes of the public will only deteriorate as long as they maintain this position!
Attached is a copy of the overview of the RSPCA assessment.
June Stephen