Selling and Killing
sick animals: It is the SPCA that both sickens and kills them.
Six Dogs Killed at the Surrey SPCA after it gave them kennel cough
Posted By: AAS
Date: Wednesday, 7 April 2004, at 2:03 p.m.
The BC SPCA, famously, for decades, did no dog or cat
vaccinations at all. The result was disease-ridden facilities and
the deaths of hundreds of thousands of helpless abandoned animals
made sick by the SPCA and then killed for being sick. What survived
was sold, to anyone - as long as they paid. Animals were sold intact
(breedable) if not previously sterilized, and sold sick if they
could be. They were sold without even a pretence of animal welfare -
without the least need to hide that they were just the SPCA's
"product" in its pet recycling business because the SPCA's p.r.
machinery so efficiently hid everything from donators. The product
was actually delivered free to the SPCA's door, hundreds or
thousands a day, so there was no need to make any "damaged goods"
more sellable by vet care, or vaccinating, or sterilizing, or
rehabilitating and training. All of that would have cost money and
why bother when more free product was being dragged or carried
through its doors hourly? The only other business that gets free
product and ditches the unsellable is the junk business - and that
is just what the SPCA dealt in - junked animals.
Because of the damage done to its bottom line by the exposure and
criticism by AAS and others, the SPCA began doing damage control,
and recently began pre-sales sterilizing (in a few branches) and
vaccinating.
But the way it is vaccinating is just more proof that it is still
not doing real animal welfare. The SPCA went from vaccinating
nothing to vaccinating everything, with the same lack of concern for
the health or welfare of the animals in its clutches (and we use
that word advisedly as it is still the most accurate word to
describe the way animals are kept and used by the SPCA), as it
always did. Vaccinating is just the new way of doing its old pet
recycling business. Re-imaging, not reforming.
The Surrey SPCA is the latest case in point but this story is
endemic to SPCAs. Six dogs at the Surrey SPCA contracted kennel
cough recently and were killed. SPCAs are full of diseases
preventable by standard cleaning and isolation practices and killing
the ones with the bad luck to both be abandoned and to wind up in an
SPCA "shelter" is bad enough. But the SPCA kills even more dogs, and
we presume cats too, by now vaccinating all animals, sick or well,
willy-nilly.
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In memory of Surrey SPCA dog #39900 *LINK* *PIC*
AAS -- Wednesday, 7 April 2004, at 2:40 p.m.
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Willy's story *LINK* *PIC*
Willy's story *LINK* *PIC*
Posted By: AAS
Date: Wednesday, 7 April 2004, at 4:16 p.m.
In Response To:
Selling and Killing sick animals: It is the SPCA that both sickens
and kills them (AAS)
Big Heart Rescue quickly found a foster home with one of its
directors and had Willy tested for all causes of hair loss and
for the mucous discharge. The hair loss was finally determined
to be many allergies. It was worried that distemper may have
been the disease infecting so many of the Surrey SPCA dogs, a
much deadlier disease than kennel cough. If treated properly
kennel cough is not cause for death or an excuse for euthanasia.
But during the efforts to find out what was making Willy so
sick he suddenly declined and was rushed to the vet where he was
put on I.V. fluids for three days but he did not improve. With
heart-breaking reluctance Big Heart Rescue made the decision to
have Willy put to sleep.
As well as Willy a sick dog named Cody was adopted by an SPCA
volunteer and a little dog named Dot was rescued by Okanagan
Animal Welfare Foundation.
Willy gets a few days of happiness and peaceful rest in
his foster home
The story of Dot, rescued from the Surrey SPCA
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Selling and Killing sick animals: It is the SPCA that both
sickens and kills them
AAS -- Wednesday, 7 April 2004, at 2:03 p.m.
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In memory of Surrey SPCA dog #39900 *LINK* *PIC*
AAS -- Wednesday, 7 April 2004, at 2:40 p.m.
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Six dogs killed - again *LINK* *PIC*
AAS -- Wednesday, 7 April 2004, at 4:56 p.m.
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It was no secret that the Surrey SPCA had a problem with
kennel cough *LINK*
Carol Sonnex -- Thursday, 8 April 2004, at 6:28 a.m.
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Surrey volunteers shocked by the destruction of Cole *PIC*
Carol Sonnex -- Thursday, 8 April 2004, at 3:40 p.m.
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Surrey SPCA Practicum Student asked to euthanize
Gail Moerkerken -- Thursday, 8 April 2004, at 5:03 p.m.
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Public lying, private killing: Tyler tells the truth *PIC*
AAS -- Friday, 9 April 2004, at 12:09 p.m.
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Goodbye Misty, I truly regret thinking for one moment you were
safe *PIC*
Carol Sonnex -- Friday, 9 April 2004, at 3:04 p.m.
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George was killed February 11, 2004. *PIC*
Carol Sonnex -- Friday, 9 April 2004, at 3:12 p.m.
Press Release from
Big Heart Rescue: Six dogs killed at Surrey SPCA
Posted By: Gail
Moerkerken
Date: Thursday, 8 April 2004, at 10:36 a.m.
Press Release
April 8, 2004
Six dogs killed at Surrey SPCA
On March 24th 2004, six dogs were killed at the Surrey SPCA while
pathology reports were pending.
On March 15th, 2004, Big Heart Rescue had released into our care
from the Surrey SPCA a very ill dog that was in desperate need of
human and medical intervention, we named him Willy. On March 21st
Willy was in severe medical distress and was admitted to intensive
care at Alouette Animal Clinic and was euthanized on March 23rd,
2004.
On March 23rd 2004, the Surrey SPCA was informed by Big Heart
Rescue that there was a possible suspicion of distemper, and that we
would have a pathology report in 3-5 days. On March 24th, 2004, six
dogs were euthanized at the Surrey SPCA and they sent two bodies to
Central Labs for necropsy. One of the six dogs who was killed was a
senior cocker spaniel who had adoption applications on file and a
foster home awaiting her arrival yet she was still euthanized.
Upon receiving the pathology reports, Big Heart Rescue informed
the SPCA that Willy's results were negative for distemper and has
requested answers from Mr. Robert Busch, SPCA General Manager,
Operations, Mr. Craig Daniell, CEO, SPCA, and Ms. Kim Archibald,
Branch Manager, Surrey SPCA, as to why six dogs lost their lives
while results were being processed. As of this date, no concrete
information or data has been provided by any senior management
within the SPCA.
The SPCA has been accused of lack of communication, transparency
and accountability and though they claim to have reformed, it is
clear they have not and animals are needlessly dying within their
facilities. The SPCA continues to allow the innocent to die, the
seniors to suffer and those with medical needs to go untreated.
Big Heart Rescue refuses to remain silent in the needless killing
of six dogs at the Surrey SPCA and though we have been placed on the
“approved rescue list” we were and are faced with lack of
cooperation, communication and silence from the SPCA. Silence kills
and the SPCA counts on a code of silence that allows for the
continuous loss of life.
If community members have facts about needless pain or death
inflicted on an SPCA held or adopted animal please contact Big Heart
Rescue at:
spiritsmission@shaw.ca or
superstition@shaw.ca
This information will be compiled and presented to the SPCA.
Together we can help the voiceless, the innocent and those that
have found themselves imprisoned within the largest animal welfare
agency in BC.
Gail Moerkerken
President
Big Heart Rescue
Questions Remain Ignored by CEO Craig Daniell
Gail Moerkerken -- Thursday, 8 April 2004, at 1:02 p.m.
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Sharp, shifty, shameful, and very much the SPCA's style
AAS -- Saturday, 10 April 2004, at 9:57 a.m.
Big Heart Rescue
says it could have found foster homes for six sick dogs
Posted By:
Gail
Moerkerken
Date: Wednesday, 21 April 2004, at 8:01 p.m.
Surrey Now Newspaper
April 21, 2004
SPCA/Big Heart Rescue says it could have found foster homes for
six sick dogs
DOGS DIDN’T HAVE TO DIE: RESCUE
Ted Colley
Staff Reporter
The Surrey SPCA and another animal welfare group are scrapping
over the fate of six dogs put down at the Surrey shelter last month.
Gail Moerkerken, president of Big Heart Rescue, believes the
Surrey shelter killed the dogs on March 24th because they feared an
outbreak of distemper, but acted without waiting for pathology test
results on another dog suspected of having the disease.
But according to Surrey SPCA manager Kim Archibald, that’s not
the case. She said the six had kennel cough and conditions at the
shelter made it impossible to isolate them from the healthy animals
there.
The controversy revolves around the last days of Willy, a pit
bull cross who was very sick when he arrived at the Surrey animal
shelter in early March. BHR heard about Willy’s predicament and
offered to take care of him. He was turned over to them on March
15th, but Willy’s condition deteriorated and on March 23rd he was
put down.
Moerkerken said it was feared Willy had distemper so after his
death, a tissue sample was sent to the lab to determine the cause of
his illness. She said results were expected in three to five days
and ultimately, it was found Willy did not have distemper.
Before the results came back, however, the six dogs at the SPCA
shelter were euthanized.
“What I believe happened is they suspected distemper and rather
than wait for the pathology to come back they killed six dogs”,
Moerkerken said.
Archibald said Moerkerken is jumping to the wrong conclusion. She
said the six dogs had kennel cough, a contagious disease, and space
constraints at the Surrey shelter meant there was no way to isolate
them to prevent the illness from spreading.
Archibald also said the sick dogs could not be moved out of the
shelter because foster homes for contagious animals are hard to
find.
“It was a very difficult day for us, but we felt if we didn’t
stop the spread we’d have the whole kennel full of sick dogs”, she
said.
Moerkerken said her organization could have found foster homes
for at least some of the six.
“Kennel cough doesn’t spread from dogs to cats. We have foster
homes that don’t have other dogs and they could have taken them”,
she said. “We were never asked”.
Archibald couldn’t be reached for further comment to see if Big
Heart’s foster homes were ever considered.
So which is it? Surrey SPCA killed six dogs to prevent the spread of
kennel cough at the same time it moved dogs to other SPCAs
Emma Vandewetering -- Thursday, 22 April 2004, at 10:40 a.m.
Why would someone want to kill a dog over a cold?
Mia Riback -- Thursday, 22 April 2004, at 9:12 a.m.
The little cocker spaniel died needlessly. Is this the Surrey
manager's idea of working with rescue groups? *LINK* *PIC*
Lynda Miller -- Thursday, 22 April 2004, at 11:32 p.m.
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Pound Contracting Kills Animals
Gail Moerkerken -- Monday, 26 April 2004, at 7:53 a.m.
Letters to the editor of the Surrey Now requested...
Gail Moerkerken -- Monday, 26 April 2004, at 9:06 a.m.
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The dog I offered to adopt was needlessly killed - what is worse
is that Ms. Archibald has claimed publicly that there was no
offer to help her
Jennifer Dickson, Okanagan Animal Welfare Foundation -- Tuesday,
27 April 2004, at 5:59 p.m.
Vet's opinion: This practice of vaccinating animals upon arrival
is not "thoughtful" medicine
Emma Vandewetering -- Monday, 26 April 2004, at 5:59 p.m.
Big Heart Rescue met with Craig
Daniell to ask questions on April 16th: Still no answers
Posted By:
AAS
Date: Sunday, 9 May 2004, at 5:30 p.m.
In Response To:
The whole story of how the Surrey SPCA killed so many dogs because of
easily treatable kennel cough *NM* *LINK* (AAS)
Gail Moerkerken and board members of Big Heart Rescue met with CEO
Craig Daniell on April 16th to ask him the below questions. Surrey
SPCA manager, Kim Archibald, was a no show after Moerkerken requested
she be there to answer questions about her decision to kill dogs that
only had kennel cough. In her place was the manager of
Chilliwack/Abbotsford SPCA, Joanne Halligan, who had nothing to do
with the issue and said nothing.
Here are Big Heart Rescue's questions...
1) Why are animals that have obvious compromised immune systems
routinely vaccinated at the SPCA? (This is the only question Daniell
answered. He said that it is not policy to automatically vaccinate
animals. He said that a mistake was made with Willy. See AAS comment
below.)
2) Why was it stated during a telephone conversation between this
writer and Ms. Archibald that a time frame could not be provided to
guarantee against euthanasia due to space limitations at the shelter,
when clearly it has been stated by the SPCA that animals are no longer
euthanized due to space limitations?
3) Under what authority would the Surrey SPCA contact Alouette
Animal Hospital to request Willy's remains be transferred to them?
4) What precipitated the miscommunication between staff, management
and Alouette Animal Hospital?
5) Why did six dogs lose their lives on March 24th, 2004 while the
pathology reports ordered by Big Heart Rescue were pending and due to
be shared with the SPCA within days?
6) Why has there been a lack of response to voice messages and
e-mails sent to Mr. Daniell and Mr. Busch?
7) Why have Surrey volunteers been placed on a "gag order" and are
no longer permitted to communicate with Big Heart Rescue?
8) Why has blame for the death of six dogs at the Surrey SPCA on
March 24th, 2004 been placed with Big Heart Rescue?
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