Date: Monday, 19 May 2003, at 6:34 p.m.

Lynda Miller
Kamloops, BC

Monday, May 19, 2003

Kim Capri,
COO, BC SPCA

RE: SURRENDERED PUPPY MILL SMALL DOGS, KAMLOOPS SPCA IMPENDING DESTRUCTION OF MORE DOGS

On Friday March 29th, thirty-four small dogs were surrendered to the Kamloops SPCA. Nineteen remained in Kamloops, while the others were sent elsewhere. They were puppy mill cockers, poodles and shih-tzus. All showed signs of repeated breeding and had various medical concerns. None were socialized or housetrained.

They were put into small kennels (with no outside runs) that are generally used to house cats. An endless parade of unscreened members of the public was allowed to sit in the kennels with the dogs in order to socialize them.

Over one hundred Special Adoption applications were filled out and returned during the first week of May, including my own. I personally was not contacted again until Wednesday, May 16. As of Saturday, May 18, only three small dogs had been adopted, two fostered, and two poodles are being sent to Vancouver to go to a correctional facility. Two were destroyed. One was Brenda, a timid dog that I and another woman had applied to adopt. These surrendered dogs should have been placed in foster care long ago before adoption was attempted. They have been in the SPCA kennels too long already. Now the public interest has waned and they no longer receive visitors. Some of the dogs are regressing due to lack of human contact. Is this is fate of future puppy mill dogs?

I had requested to adopt Freckles and Brenda, two of the more needy, less responsive cockers. Brenda, along with a poodle cross named Tamra, were euthanized shortly after I applied to adopt her, a fact I did not become aware of until told by a distressed SPCA employee that "they just came and took them. We found out later what had happened." Some SPCA staff were unaware that I had specifically requested Brenda in my Special Adoption application. The reasons given to me by Bonnie Bischoff (who may be a trained SPCA CAMP assessor, SPCA staff said they did not know what her position is) for their euthanizations were, for Brenda: progressive impending blindness, fear and anxiety; for Tamra: fear and anxiety. The picture below is from the SPCA web site, and is myself with Freckles, left, and Brenda, who was destroyed, on the right. I have since adopted a timid, completely blind two-year old cocker named Ivy from the same group of dogs, who is already extremely sociable and a treasure to have at home.

Bonnie Bischoff continually refers to the term "organic brain disorder" as being "suspect" in these particular dogs, namely the cockers. The assessment of these small dogs includes dropping a metal food bowl on the floor to see how much the dogs are frightened and how quickly they recover. There are three other dogs, Kelly, Barker, and Lisa, that also display the same fear and anxiety that Brenda and Tamra did. Are they next?

When I talked with Bonnie Bischoff on Friday, May 16, she said that Kelly was in foster care over the weekend. She told me that if progress was not made by the time Kelly returned to the SPCA on Tuesday, she would be euthanized. Bonnie reasoned that if Kelly didn't make progress over the weekend in "this home" she never would. FOUR DAYS IS NOT ENOUGH.

At no time to my knowledge and experience have any of the dogs bitten or displayed aggressive behaviour indicative of a mental disorder. These small dogs show signs of severe neglect at the hands of humans, not "organic brain disorders". Their symptoms include barking, cowering in kennel corners, shaking, and dependence on the braver dogs for moral support. They do not include aggression, "rage" of any kind, biting or vicious barking.

If you go into the separate area where stray dogs are kept, the cacophony of barking is deafening. Is this now justification for euthanization? When does the killing stop?

It may take months or years for these puppy mill dogs to adjust. If people are willing to try to help the dogs, why should they not be given the chance?  These dogs are very overwhelmed and frightened and the assessment procedure being used is grossly unfair. The fearful, timid dogs are not permitted to go to homes with their kennel mates because it makes them "too dependent on the other dogs and they will not progress socially". Instead, the SPCA has chosen to destroy two dogs already who, given the chance with the proper family, could have been socialized and cared for. Please explain… just what did we "rescue" them from - from a familiar, un-frightening cage, to be placed in a strange, terrifying cage, and then to be put to sleep? These dogs are deprived of a home setting and a chance at life.

At one point I even asked about the feasibility of using rescue groups. Bonnie's response was that the SPCA would only use rescue groups as a last resort, as they all kennel their dogs, which means they would just go from kennel to kennel.

The ultimatum given by Bonnie Bischoff was that if Kelly didn’t show any progress after four days of fostering, she would be euthanized.

I hope by writing this letter I will not be too late to stop the possible needless destruction of Kelly on Tuesday, May 20, 2003 and draw attention to the fate of the remaining dogs.

Sincerely,

Lynda Miller

More Kamloops SPCA puppy mill dogs photos

Write the SPCA. Tell them to stop killing these dogs
AAS -- Monday, 19 May 2003, at 7:16 p.m.

A Leap of Faith...into a trap?
Big Heart Rescue -- Monday, 19 May 2003, at 8:36 p.m.

Letter to BC SPCA COO, Kim Capri to halt anymore euthanasias at the Kamloops SPCA
AAS -- Tuesday, 20 May 2003, at 9:29 a.m.

Dear Ms Capri: I hope that you will not be killing Kelly today, after only 4 days in foster care.
Anita Horne -- Tuesday, 20 May 2003, at 9:49 a.m.

I didn't give the SPCA all my puppy mill invetigative material only to have the SPCA kill the dogs
Okanagan Animal Welfare Foundation -- Tuesday, 20 May 2003, at 9:42 a.m.

Phone or email the Kamloops SPCA to stop more euthanasias of puppy mill dogs
AAS -- Tuesday, 20 May 2003, at 9:37 a.m.

It truly saddens me to be asking these questions
Greater Victoria Animal's Crusaders -- Tuesday, 20 May 2003, at 8:05 p.m.

As an animal lover and having been associated with the S.P.C.A through adoptions and fostering I am deeply concerned
Maureen Brady -- Tuesday, 20 May 2003, at 8:10 p.m.

Kelly has won a temporary reprieve. Yay!!
Lynda Miller -- Tuesday, 20 May 2003, at 9:23 p.m.

Killing rather than using offers from real rescuers *LINK*
Pacific Animal Foundation -- Thursday, 22 May 2003, at 7:42 a.m.

A letter from BS SPCA Regional Manager Bob Busch - a reason that we can still not trust the SPCA

Posted By: AAS <office@animaladvocates.com>
Date: Saturday, 24 May 2003, at 7:18 a.m.

A letter from BS SPCA Regional Manager Bob Busch - a reason that we can still not trust the SPCA

Mr Busch wrote this letter in response to the outrage at the killing by the Kamloops SPCA of a cocker spaniel and a poodle which had been surrendered from a puppy mill to the Kamloops SPCA. They were killed in spite of many offers from volunteers to foster them, and in spite of the pleas of Lynda Miller of Kamloops to be allowed to adopt one of them. They were killed because this is what the SPCA has always done - killed in preference to using any outside offers of help. Read how the Kelowna SPCA using CAMP killed many dogs seized from a roadside breeder, in spite of many offers from volunteers who were allowed to come to love the dogs over many months and walk with them. CAMP/Kelowna SPCA said they were aggressive. Look at their pictures and read volunteer's testimonies and judge for yourself. http://www.animaladvocates.com/beaverdell-topaz.htm

Not only did Kelowna volunteers beg for the lives of the Beaverdell dogs, but the Alaskan Malamute Help League's offer to foster and rehabilitate was ignored too.

The cocker and the poodle "sheltered" by the Kamloops SPCA were killed using CAMP, the BC SPCA's new tool to prevent critics from accusing it of killing arbitrarily at the whim of any member of staff who happens to feel like it. CAMP, in its current form, with tests to determine temperament but without any remediation program, is a weapon against dogs and a shield for the SPCA and a devise to keep the SPCA in the pet disposal business.

Please write your concerns about Mr Busch's letter and the use of CAMP to euthanize dogs at the Kamloops SPCA to Thompson Region BC SPCA director Pat Cutler at pcutler@cariboo.bc.ca and to the Kim Capri, Chief Operating Officer of the BC SPCA at kcapri@spca.bc.ca and to the President of the BC SPCA, Rick Sargent at roxiegirl@shaw.ca and to Craig Daniell, BC SPCA CEO and Manager of Cruelty Investigations at cdaniell@spca.bc.ca.

Link to more posts on the Kamloops killings and the letter from Lynda Miller of Kamloops that started it all: http://www.animaladvocates.com/cgi-bin/admin_config.pl/read/2509

Link to more posts on the BC SPCA's killer CAMP http://www.animaladvocates.com/cgi-bin/admin_config.pl/read/2414

This is Mr Busch's letter to selected critics of the killings. Mr Busch did not send his letter to Lynda Miller who is the witness to what was done, nor to AAS...

This letter is written to all those who have communicated dissatisfaction with the euthanasias last week of two dogs at the BC SPCA Kamloops shelter. Although I personally was not aware of the situation until yesterday, I have reviewed the case with the Branch Manager and support her decision.

The two dogs in question were unsocialized and extremely fearful of humans. Although a month was spent attempting to rehabilitate the dogs, they did not improve and it was deemed inhumane to let them live in constant fear of humans. That reluctant decision was made by two qualified assessors and a Companion Animal Management Program trainer, who were unanimous in their decision.

Although the BC SPCA supports the use of qualified and appropriate foster homes and rescue groups, it was decided that the nature of these dogs' behaviour would not have been improved in a foster/rescue situation.

Allegations that the dogs were euthanized due to barking are totally false, as is the statement that one remaining dog was slated for euthanasia on May 20th.

We appreciate the concern shown by all those who have communicated with us and hope that you, in turn, will appreciate that the BC SPCA is forced to make very difficult animal welfare decisions on a daily basis. Our CAMP assessment tool is a method of assisting that decision-making process through evaluating an animal's emotional/behavioral state. The tool is not perfect, but does allow us some objectivity in deciding an animal's future. If you disagree with the tool, that is your right, but please ask yourself if it is acceptable to allow an animal to live a life of fear and suffering. Quality of life vs quantity of life: that is the moral/ethical dilemma with which we were faced and we acted, as always, in the best interests of the animals concerned.

Our thanks for your strong support of animal welfare. The animals of this province are fortunate to have so many voices acting on their behalf.

Robert Busch

BCSPCA Regional Manager, Interior

email: bbusch@spca.bc.ca

Read the posts in this thread to see why we think Mr Busch's letter is not "accurate".

Background on the Kamloops CAMP killing
AAS -- Saturday, 24 May 2003, at 7:49 a.m.

Here are the "facts". Lynda Miller's response to Busch's inaccurate letter
AAS -- Sunday, 25 May 2003, at 7:01 a.m.

Update on puppy mill dogs rescued from the Kamloops SPCA *LINK*

Posted By: Lynda Miller
Date: Sunday, 8 June 2003, at 5:21 a.m.

I am writing to acknowledge the public support/outcry regarding the fate of the Kamloops puppy mill dogs and the possible euthanasia of Kelly. The end result was no more euthanasias and all the dogs have been placed except one poodle and one shih tzu. Amazing how public pressure can achieve results. The most surprising result...the Kamloops SPCA phoned me directly last week asking me to adopt Kelly!

Kelly and Ivy are with me together now. They are incredible. Both love the nice warm bed, sitting on the couch watching tv and gluing themselves to everyone for pats and hugs. Kelly is steadily progressing, doing better in one week than I hoped to see in many months. Had the handling of the puppy mill dogs not been made so incredibly public, I have no doubt the outcome would have been disastrously different with more animals being euthanised.

Incredibly, as of this date, the Kamloops SPCA website continues to advertise for public donations to assist with the costs of the puppy mill dogs using the picture of Brenda with Freckles and myself, four week after it euthanized Brenda, in spite of repeated requests from me to adopt her, and in spite of repeated requests to remove that photo. It remains on that page bearing witness to the injustice of her fate. Her eyes haunt me.

I shudder to think of what the future holds for yet more puppy mill dogs coming into the system all across the province.
http://www.spca.bc.ca/kamloops/rescue1.html

Lynda Miller
June 8/03

See messageboard posts from Lynda and others starting here: http://www.animaladvocates.com/cgi-bin/newsroom.pl/read/2509 and http://www.animaladvocates.com/cgi-bin/newsroom.pl/read/2564
 

Pictures and story - AAS web page

AAS comment
AAS -- Sunday, 8 June 2003, at 5:27 a.m.