|
|
|
Read all about it if it's animal news! Daily top stories |
The Province June 18/04
"Four SPCA assessors deemed Cheech too vicious and unpredictable, especially toward men, and recommended he be put down, said spokeswoman Lorie Chortyk." AAS: Staff only know of two assessments, the first he passed, the 2nd was ordered by Delta SPCA manager Michelle Rodgers after she grabbed Cheech roughly by the collar and he growled slightly while backing away - not lunging forward. We suspect the other two the SPCA claims were done are simply someone signing off on the 2nd assessment as Cheech was rescued shortly after the 2nd one was done. The SPCA's primary concern in this case is that Cheech poses a threat to the public, Chortyk said, adding that the society has a moral and legal duty to protect the public from harmful animals. "We did everything in our power to help that dog, because euthanasia is always the last resort," Chortyk said. "[Muir] made the situation happen, we didn't. We didn't ask her to steal a dog from the shelter." The SPCA did nothing to help Cheech. There was no rehabilitation except that done by volunteers. South Delta Leader June 18/04 "All our attempts to help it recover have been unsuccessful," Chortyk said. "Unfortunately, all the assessments have shown it was becoming increasingly aggressive around men and children." The decision to euthanize Cheech wasn't made lightly, Chortyk added, and four people signed off on the decision. Two of those people signed hurriedly after Cheech was rescued without ever seeing Cheech. CTV News at 6pm June 19/04 Nadine Gourkow BC SPCA Animal Welfare Supervisor: "He's very ambivalent. He's very unpredictable. And there's a high potential that he will bite without exactly the person holding the leash knowing what has set him off." Bob Busch SPCA Regional Manager: "We must not let an animal that has a chance to be dangerous out in public. We would be irresponsible as the SPCA if we did that, and I think the public expects more of us." The Sun June 19/04 "After showing on the first test that he had anger management issues, Cheech got "progressively worse in the shelter," said Nadine Gourkow, animal welfare manager of the SPCA office in Vancouver. During the second test, Cheech "showed he had a very high level of fearfulness" by growling, showing teeth, jumping up and down, and cornering himself in the back of the cage, she says. Then, when the dog tester wasn't looking, Cheech lunged at him." Global News 6pm June 19/04 Nadine Gourkow Animal Welfare Manager: He has attempted to bite and people have protected themselves by, the two people that he has attacked have put something in between themselves and the dog and he bit the object instead. Global Noon News June 19/04 Nadine Gourkow: The feeling was with Cheech that the rehabilitation he might need had very, very low chances of success, but even the success that might have happened wouldn't have been so he is actually healed. But that perhaps it could be managed, but that would be to a point where he would have to have a lot of restrictions such as being muzzled, being leashed, being things that really would have reduced his welfare. The Sun June 19/04 "All of the people who assessed the dog since April ... say he's too dangerous to be in the community," says SPCA spokeswoman Lorie Chortyk. AAS: Cheech passed the first assessment. He 'failed' the 2nd assessment which was a set-up at the behest of Manager Michelle Rodgers. The Sun June 21/04 SPCA spokeswoman Lorie Chortyk said the agency empathizes with Cheech's supporters, but will not back down on its view that the dog should be destroyed. "It's difficult because it's very emotional," Chortyk said. "But this dog has displayed incredibly unpredictable behaviour. Cheech displayed no unpredictable behaviour. He showed consistent, but improving, timidity around men he did not know. He showed trust and love for men he did know. McConnell and others have offered to adopt Cheech and keep him isolated while he is trained and rehabilitated, but Chortyk said there is no possibility the SPCA will agree to such an arrangement. "It's kind of like saying 'We have a sexual predator, but if you sign over, you can take him into your kindergarten class.'" AAS: Gross fear-mongering and sleazy too. Surrey Leader June 22/04 SPCA spokesperson Lorie Chortyk said the former guard dog could not be rehabilitated. "All our attempts to help it recover have been unsuccessful," Chortyk said. "Unfortunately, all the assessments have shown it was becoming increasingly aggressive around men and children." Cheech was not ever a guard dog, he was a puppy, under a year old who had been a yard dog who got loose and ran around the neighbourhood so much that the owner surrendered him to the SPCA, first getting a promise from the SPCA that they would not ever hurt his puppy. The first assessment gave Cheech a very high rating. The second assessment, the one set up by the manager after she grabbed and pulled on Cheech roughly and he growled or barked while backing away, is the assessment the SPCA used to declare him a dangerous offender. Chortyk said it's not a matter of money or expertise, but rather the safety of people who might come in contact with Cheech, adding Stone's organization has not assessed the dog and doesn't understand it's disposition. Delta Police were called Wednesday to recover the dog but were unsuccessful. Chortyk said the SPCA continues to work with police to get Cheech back. Chortyk said the dog would not be reassessed or given more time for rehabilitation. June 18/04 Email from Chortyk to AAS supporter Lana Simon
From: Lorie Chortyk <lchortyk@spca.bc.ca>
Dear Lana,
The dilemma with Cheech's situation is that while he is fine with some women, he has shown escalating aggression, particularly towards young and adult males. No aggression was ever displayed by Cheech, to anyone. There have been numerous situations since he has been with us where he has shown a dangerous level of aggression towards people at the shelter. Every volunteer and all the staff [except for the manager] say that Cheech never showed any aggression. His behaviour is unpredictable -- he is very friendly in some situations but then turns on other people with no provocation (you may recall the case of Shenica White -- the teenager who was mauled by two dogs in Vancouver last year. The very next day the same dogs involved in the vicious attack were very friendly, wagging their tails and giving kisses. This is the kind of unpredictable behaviour that Cheech has exhibited). This is gross fear-mongering. Cheech is a cheerful pup with such a strong bite-inhibition that no one has been able to make him bite. He runs and hides when scared, but then trustingly returns quickly. We have had several people involved in Cheech's rehabilitation efforts and case management. The unanimous agreement and recommendation by the assessors is that, based on Cheech's temperament and behaviour, he cannot be safely placed in the community. AAS: not unanimous at all. Cheech passed his first assessment test. No one at the SPCA ever takes a euthanasia decision lightly, which is why we brought in so many people to be part of the rehabilitation attempts. AAS: no one was brought in to rehabilitate Cheech. His rehabilitation (what little was needed) was done by Amanda Muir and Delta SPCA volunteers.
June 17/04 Cindy Elmquist of Prince George (250-563-2750) phoned the SPCA and was put through to ChortykSome of the highlights of Cindy's conversation with Lorie: - She said Cheech has lunged at children's throats several times during his time at the SPCA. I asked if there were any lawsuits against the SPCA re this. She said no. AAS: More gross fear-mongering. Where is the notation in Cheech's file that he had lunged at a child's throat? Can the SPCA produce the parents of this child? Volunteers and staff say Cheech was never in contact with a child. - She said Cheech has viciously attacked several people during his time at the SPCA. I asked if there were any lawsuits against the SPCA re this. She said no. She said that was because they were all SPCA employees that he attacked. AAS: This is not true, but if it were, there were no notations of attacks on Cheech's file and staff and volunteers were never warned so it is the SPCA that is irresponsible and putting the public at risk by having Cheech for adoption even on the day they tried to kill him. - I asked why Cheech wasn't put to sleep if he had lunged at children and viciously attacked people while at the SPCA. She said they were trying to give him every chance possible. (AAS: this is not true, Cheech was never in contact with any children while at the SPCA, but if it were true and he had lunged at a child, then it is the SPCA that is irresponsible for leaving him for adoption on the web site and for not warning the staff and volunteers.) - I asked why it had said in his bio that he was great with other dogs and people and getting better all the time. She said that volunteers write the bio. I asked why SPCA staff/management do not check these before they are posted. No answer. - I asked how the decision was made. She said they brought in many experts during Cheech's time at the SPCA. One of the people was an animal welfare behaviourist at UBC, of course there were also a few SPCA people. I asked if the Cheech's vet was involved. She said no. AAS: Amanda Muir and volunteers say no one after Cheech's first good assessment was brought in to assess Cheech except Barry McKnight, one of the SPCA's CAMP enforcers from head office. McKnight produced the assessment that Rodgers required to kill Cheech. - I asked if she had ever witnessed Cheech attacking someone. She said yes. AAS: Chortyk cannot ever have seen Cheech. She works at head office and has nothing to do with the branches or any animals. No staff or volunteers ever saw Chortyk at the Delta SPCA Delta Optimist on June 23/04 Animal Advocates Society president Judy Stone, who attended the Saturday rally, said the SPCA assessment is "junk science." She accused the society of using it as a way of keeping shelter costs down. But the SPCA defended its assessment program. Spokesperson Lorie Chortyk said it's among the best in the world. AAS: AAS has made several requests to the SPCA to provide the data that proves this, but no data has been provided. She said the decision to destroy the dog was made after four people conducted two assessments, which Cheech failed with "off-the-charts" aggression. AAS: Gross fear-mongering again. Cheech did not ever show any aggression much less "off-the-charts" aggression. According to the SPCA, Cheech scored a 10 out of 10 in aggressive behaviour. Chortyk noted two Mastiff-Rottweiler dogs that viscously mauled 14-year-old Shenica White in Vancouver two years ago scored between a four and five on the same scale. AAS: More gross fear-mongering. Amanda Muir checked on this statement. She asked VCP spokesman and long-time employee, Bob Cristofoli, if the dogs that attacked Shenica White were assessed. He replied that they were not, that they were surrendered for destruction, therefore there was no purpose served by assessing them. The SPCA was not in anyway involved with these dogs. Chortyk said she empathizes with Cheech's supporters, but said the SPCA would be derelict in its duty to let a dog with "the highest likelihood of mauling someone" go free. AAS: Gross fear-mongering again. "Mauling" is a highly evocative word. Craig Naherniak, the SPCA's general manager of humane education, said the series of tests, called Dog Temperament Assessment 4, are highly advanced and the result of years of work. "In the 18 years that our assessor has worked with dogs, this is the most fearful dog that he has had to deal with," said Naherniak, declining to name the assessor.
|