List of False Statements Made by the SPCA about Cheech

Amanda Muir – "There were three assessments in total that were done. One by Patti (from the Richmond SPCA a month or more after his arrival at the shelter, one by Delta SPCA employee Bruce Kilborn that was not SPCA ordered but done to assess Cheech's progress - neither of these assessments showed Cheech to be aggressive or vicious.

"The last assessment was done as directed by Michelle Rodgers. Cheech did not bite his assessor although he was corned by this unknown man in his kennel. No other assessments were ever done. Cheech never bit anyone, no staff, no volunteers, not even this last assessor."

AAS Comment – The SPCA did nothing to help Cheech. There was no rehabilitation except that done by volunteers.

Amanda Muir – Cheech spent lots of time socializing with staff, volunteers and other shelter animals. No rehabilitation was done other than that of these volunteers and staff, one volunteer was a dog trainer and offered to take Cheech into her home to continue training but was not allowed to do so."

Amanda Muir – "No SPCA upper Management met Cheech. Mark Takhar, Manager Vancouver/Burnaby SPCA (who to all appearances was is afraid of most dogs and had NO training or animal experience) and Michelle Rodgers were the only management he ever met. Chortyk did not meet Cheech nor did Daniell or any other management/HO representative that wanted to see Cheech put to sleep (pts). Cheech was NEVER out with any young children but was walked by several men, families with older children (young teens) as well as other dogs. There was no aggressive behaviour reported or seen during these walks. In fact, a couple with a teenage daughter came the afternoon Cheech had been scheduled to be pts to adopt him."

Amanda Muir – "Neither Gourkow or Busch met Cheech. Cheech was to go to a trainers home for further training and foster care with a promise of his return for euthanasia if he became aggressive or did not continue to improve as he had every day since coming to the SPCA. Cheech was never to be let loose in public although there was no reason he should not have been. Michelle Rodgers and Bob Busch refused to even give him a chance to be rehabilitated as their own mandates insist must be done before a dog is pts."

Amanda Muir – "Cheech had NO anger issues noted in either of his first two assessments. Cheech did nothing but improve in the shelter until the day Michelle Rodgers grabbed him, unexpectedly, from behind, when he was barking at a stranger who entered the shelter. Cheech did not bite or snap, he realized in a second who grabbed him and returned to his usual demeanor. Had Michelle done what she should have, verbally commanded Cheech to stop barking he would have stopped his barking. This barking was only a protective gesture as Cheech had started to consider the shelter his home. That was part of the reason Cheech was up front in the shelter in the first place, to be encouraged to behave appropriately. If Michelle had reacted as she should have with a simple 'that's enough' or 'leave it' command would have been all Cheech needed to stop barking. Cheech thrived when given verbal commands followed by praise, he was a quick learner and he loved to learn and please people."

Amanda Muir – "This must be in reference to his last assessment and as this is the only time Cheech ever snapped at anything. Cheech was put in a position where he had to protect himself, or felt he had to. He was cornered in the kennel by a strange man carrying a brush and Cheech snapped at the brush NOT the assessor! There was never another 'incident' as described that I or anyone who worked with Cheech was aware of."

Amanda Muir – "Being leashed and muzzled is better than being dead and is something the trainer offered to do if she took him in, as a precaution, not because he needed to be."

Amanda Muir – "All the people are three people and no one ever said this to my knowledge...no one that actually met Cheech anyway."

AAS Comment – 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.

AAS Comment – Gross fear-mongering.

Amanda Muir – "Horrible comparison that demonstrates Chortyk's lack of understanding of the situation and her lack of tact."

AAS Comment – 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 was also good. The third assessment, AAS believes was done on the day Cheech was scheduled to be destroyed after AAS phoned CEO Craig Daniell and offered to rehabilitate Cheech at AAS's expense, we believe is the assessment the SPCA used to declare Cheech a dangerous dog.

Amanda Muir – "He had been in a yard at a business in the Tilbury industrial park with a man who had saved him from an abusive home. He and Cheech lived there with another dog. Cheech's new owner did chain him at times so he would not run off as he liked to do. He was surrendered as Judy states as Cheech was running loose often, when not chained which his owner did not like to do. The SPCA made a promise to find him a new and better home than this man could give him."

Amanda Muir – "AAS offered to assess, train and take full responsibility for Cheech before taking him in but was not allowed to."

Amanda Muir – "Cheech's interaction with men only improved during his time at the shelter."

Amanda Muir – "Aside from a growl when Michelle Rodgers grabbed him Cheech continued to improve with every positive experience he had at the shelter from the day he arrived."

AAS Comment – This is gross fear-mongering. AAS was told that 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.

AAS Comment – not unanimous at all. Cheech passed his first and second assessment tests.

AAS Comment – no one was brought in to rehabilitate Cheech. His rehabilitation (what little was needed) was done by Amanda Muir and Delta SPCA volunteer professional trainer, Amber Cottle.

AAS Comment – 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.

AAS Comment – Staff say this is not true, but if it were, then why was Cheech still being advertised on the SPCA's website as up for adoption even on the day he was ordered destroyed and he was rescued. 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.

AAS Comment – 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.

Amanda Muir – "Volunteers do not write the bios, or at least never did at Delta. I wrote Cheech's bio and took his photos. While off on my medical leave I volunteered to do this and if I did not have time it was done by other staff members who knew the animals very well."

AAS Comment – 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.

AAS Comment – Chortyk NEVER met Cheech and I do not ever recall her visiting the shelter in the several years I was there...Cheech was not at the shelter by the time Chortyk became involved.