Chip's Happy Ending

Chip is saved from destruction at the SPCA – thanks to quick action by Animal Advocates Society of BC and Chip's rescuer, Chip is still alive and happy. (He was formerly known as "Billy", but in his new life he is now being called "Chip".)

But deceit had to be used because the BC SPCA would not have allowed Chip to live if it had known that Animal Advocates was going to be given Chip as soon as he could be saved from the BC SPCA.

Here's the full story of "Chip", formerly Billy:

July 18 2014, we receive this email from a kind woman who met Chip on the street and fell in love with him:

"Hello, Today (July 18, 2014) someone made the decision to surrender his Pitbull and Boston Terrier cross dog to the SPCA. Chip is a 2year old neutered male. He has been passed around and only ever lived on the street for his whole life. He has traveled across the country and unfortunately has become extremely anxious and fearful. The owner disclosed that he has bit before and became deaf from a fight with another dog. I spent time with the dog and feel within a secure, responsible home and with proper training he could be an amazing dog. His potential is great... he loves to be cuddled. Unfortunately, the Vancouver SPCA has deemed him vicious because of the disclosure of his behavioral problems. Although there is someone spending time with him tonight to do some assessing they have scheduled him to be euthanized at noon tomorrow (July 19, 2014). I and others feel so strongly that this incredible sweet boy deserves a second chance! I am unable to take him as I have a rescued Rottweiler with me. I feel so strongly about this as my Lily was also deemed vicious and if it were not for a loving rescue organization like yours, I would not have this amazing dog in my life. Chip is at the SPCA at 1205 East 7th avenue in Vancouver. I would be willing to help transport Chip and provide some monthly financial support to a foster home for him. Thank-you!"

She and Chip got instant help from us:

More than twenty-five years of unremitting ethical dog rescue meant that we have the money and the resources to put Chip in a professional rehabilitator's home where, if in fact he was a fighter, he would be rehabilitated – while being cosy and loved. AAS has paid this professional for many years; for the whole lives of some dogs who never can be safely rehomed, or are too old, or have too many medical conditions to ever be adoptable. Not only does AAS pay this professional, but we pay all our dogs' vet bills too. To tell a dog that you have rescued it and then to say to it "You are costing too much and that no one wants you, so we are going to kill you" is not real animal welfare no matter how the SPCA tries to justify it. It is morally indefensible.

The photos to the right were taken a few hours later in the rehabilitator's home. The SPCA's belief that Chip is a danger to other dogs is proven wrong.

Chip has a sore paw that AAS will pay to be examined, x-rayed if needed, and all that is needed to make the paw well again.

AAS's problem with the SPCA does not include all its front-line workers (though we are unable to trust the word of many of them too). In Chip's case there were some Vancouver SPCA employees who may have also been instrumental in saving Chip, who may have been advocating for Chip to SPCA Head Office. Kim Monteith has been known for years to AAS to be a Vancouver SPCA employee who is utterly trustworthy. Kim runs the Vancouver SPCA's street outreach program. We suspect that Kim went to bat for Chip). See Kim's good work here.

The saving of Chip indicates that those at the BC SPCA who make policy, and who watch AAS on the internet, especially our Facebook account now at over 47,000 followers, saw the extent of the outrage and were forced to reverse the automatic death sentence for Chip which is its true Pitbull policy; a policy that animal-lovers in BC are unaware of. BC SPCA p.r. statements about Pitbulls do not correspond with what appears to be its real Pitbull policy.

Past experience with the BC SPCA forms my opinion that the SPCA is not going to stop killing dogs like Chip if it can get away with it in secret. There is the appearance that after the whole story appeared on AAS's Facebook page, the SPCA changed its mind about killing Chip. Perhaps those Vancouver SPCA employees who don't like killing good dogs had already stopped Chip's killing. Or was the order not to destroy Chip because AAS has more than 47,000 Facebook followers? Did the SPCA see the huge outrage and decide that the killing of Chip could be another Cheech media-explosion? The immediate order to destroy a 25 lb, deaf, young dog without even a test, smells of a special Pitbull policy. No matter that Chip's owner had said that he was deaf because of a dog-fight he'd been in, the SPCA knows that surrendering owners lie all the time. (It's very unlikely that Chip was made totally deaf because of a dog-fight: it is more likely that Chip was born deaf. And it's not unlikely that if Chip was in a fight, it was because of being startled by a dog acting aggressively.)

July 22 2014 update: saved and so happy!

The photos below belie the SPCA's excuse for killing a frightened deaf little Pitbull cross, that he was a danger to other dogs. These photos were taken the home of AAS's paid professional rehabilitator.

See a short video of Chip with a rehabilitator below:

October 16 2014 update: Chip finds his forever home!

We found an adopter for Chip. He is very good and he has been working with Chip and us almost every day. We have taught him how to handle Chip in most situations and he is very responsible. He has been looking for a dog for quite some time. He is a good friend of one of my team members. He took Chip to his parents' farm this weekend. Chip has previously been introduced to them and their dogs and they all played together.

If you would like to contribute to Chip's (and all Animal Advocates') rescue expenses we'd be very grateful. You can contribute here.

Click photos to enlarge