Our branch feels we must take a strong position because our back is to the wall. Our shelter is full, and there is no hope of growing our foster program and increasing our adoption rate to accommodate the overflow (if there had been any hope, we would have done it a long time ago). Because the Executive Committee has not rescinded the previous directive that no animal can be refused admission to a shelter, our staff is left with only two alternatives; insubordination or quitting. To put them in such an impossible situation is unconscionable, and amounts to constructive dismissal.

Our submission to the Executive Committee is as follows:

____________________________________________________

March 10, 2002

Executive Committee
B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
#322 - 470 Granville Street
Vancouver, B.C.   V6C 1V5

Dear Executive Committee Members:

We are writing with regard to the memorandum of March 5, 2002, which imposed a moratorium on euthanasia at all BC SPCA branches, effective as of that date. It is our view that this new policy is unworkable, and must be rescinded immediately.

We have been advised that the Executive Committee’s decision in this matter was taken over the course of just one meeting, without any consultation with those who stood to be affected. We find this arbitrary, unilateral and exclusionary method of decision making unacceptable because, over time, it leads inevitably to poor decisions such as this one. It also leads to alienation of others in the organization.

We are concerned because this decision continues a pattern by this Executive Committee of ignoring processes you yourselves have put in place to gather facts and make recommendations on complex matters of great importance to our Society. As you will all be aware, the Society struck the Max-Adopt (No-Kill) Task Force to consider the question of reducing euthanasia at BCSPCA shelters. The result of this process clearly indicated that, while adoption of a ‘zero-kill’ policy was an appropriate long term goal for the society, it would not be possible under present circumstances. Those circumstances have not changed, and so the Executive Committee’s decision is simply ill-advised and poorly considered.

What further concerns us is that the basis for this decision appears to have been some unspecified public pressure over the issue, and two relatively minor incidents at the Victoria and Vancouver Regional branches stemming from a lack of clarity over euthanasia decision making authority. Firstly, the problem of structures of authority at two branches is unrelated to, and should not be allowed to dictate euthanasia policy for all of the BCSPCA’s diverse branches. Secondly, the Executive Committee’s interpretation of the extent of public demand for a euthanasia moratorium once again ignores the findings of a process that you yourselves had set up to collect information and make fact-based recommendations on an important issue. The Public Consultation Task Force did not recommend instant adoption of a zero kill policy.

This completely unexpected and sudden decree has placed staff at shelters across the province in an impossible position. Under current BCSPCA policy, they are not allowed to refuse any animal for admission while at the same time not being allowed to euthanise when over-crowding becomes critical. The response from head office has been the facile advice to start foster programs, promote animals for adoption  and ‘do the best you can.’ It is our view that this is precisely what volunteers and staff have been doing to the best of their ability within the limited resources available at most branches, and certainly so at ours.

The unstated but necessary implication of this decree is that the Executive Committee is of the view that branches have not been trying hard enough to adopt out animals, and are euthanising them because it is easier. This is a wrong and offensive assumption. We do not euthanise because we like it or because we are lazy, but rather because it is an ugly necessity here. A euthanasia moratorium will not change this fundamental fact. It will only make a difficult situation worse, because if nothing changes our shelter will have to close.

In conclusion, we hereby submit that the Executive Committee must immediately reverse the euthanasia moratorium and reconstitute the Max-Adopt Task force to make fact-based recommendations on a workable transition to ‘zero-kill’. We also ask that the Executive Committee adopt a more open, inclusive and responsible decision making process to avoid crises such as this in the future.

Signed,

NORTH PEACE BRANCH

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In the past, in fact only a year ago, this letter would be read by only a handful.  But because of the web it can be read by millions.  The BC SPCA cannot carry on its business behind closed doors ever again.  The web tore the doors off.

When the SPCA in BC finally realizes that it has nowhere to hide, only then might it realize it has no choice but the tell the truth and act in an upright manner.  But are the people who have chosen p.r. and dissembling over standing upright, admitting past faults, and choosing to do the moral thing by animals, capable of understanding this?  The SPCA needs more housecleaning.  Getting rid of Vancouver SPCA CEO Douglas Hooper was more useful to the BC SPCA than to animals.  The BC SPCA needed to crush the Vancouver SPCA because it was too rich and powerful and it used revelations of Hooper's $203,000 salary to do this.