Victoria SPCA on CFAX

On July 3rd, C-FAX radio's Stephen Andrew did a show named "The Changing Face of the SPCA" in which he interviewed Penny Stone, the manager of the Victoria SPCA, on how the Victoria SPCA has changed so much for the better since he caused its reputation and finances so much harm by exposing its use of the gas box to kill animals even though it had $11 million dollars in the bank.

Mr Andrew opened the interview by saying, "A number of years ago, maybe about four years ago now, some news came to me that the SPCA was euthanizing cats because they had too many. The situation was, they were placing them into this gas chamber which was essentially like a metal coffin, they would gas the cats. I don't want to get too descriptive of this, but the cats would panic and eventually they would pass out and die. I did a story on it that caused an uproar. One of the biggest issues at that time was considering that the Victoria SPCA had $11 million in the bank, why were they doing this? There have been changes over the years at the SPCA. They're still wearing the fallout from those stories, it certainly came from some of the people who had worked at the shelter over the years."

We question many of the things Ms Stone said in this interview, but we begin with four specific questions:

1. Mr Andrew reminded listeners that four years ago he publicly questioned why, since the Victoria SPCA had $11 million dollars in the bank, they were using the gas box to kill animals instead of humane injection. Then he asked if the Victoria SPCA still had $11 million dollars in the bank. Ms Stone answered "No". Mr Andrew asked again, "The BC head arm of the SPCA took some of that money?" Again Ms Stone answered, "No". She explained that it had all been spent on animals.

Does anyone know if any of Victoria's millions of dollars went to the BC SPCA Head Office and if so, how much and when?

2. Ms Stone did say clearly that until recently the Victoria SPCA did not treat ill animals. Ms Stone said that the SPCA killed animals that were not perfect. In fact, the SPCA actually sold sick animals "as is" if it could, and killed them if it couldn't sell them. AAS thoroughly documented the SPCA practices of killing or selling sick animals that have come into its "care" and are being sued by the BC SPCA for doing that. We wonder what the $11.5 million was spent on if not on the care of animals.

Does anyone know how many imperfect animals the Victoria SPCA killed in the years 2000 (the year the BC SPCA first threatened to sue AAS for saying it kills treatable and healthy animals) and the present date? Does anyone know if the Victoria SPCA or the BC SPCA publish verifiable destruction figures?

3. Ms Stone also said that the Victoria SPCA got out of the animal control contracting business (stray pet collection/disposal and killing of dangerous dogs) because the business is a conflict of interest for an animal welfare organization. AAS has been saying that on its website for six years and is being sued by Ms Stone's CEO and Board of Directors for saying it. Ms Stone's statement proves that even some people within the SPCA hold the same opinion, so clearly, it is fair comment to say so.

Does anyone know why the BC SPCA's CEO and Board of Directors have so aggressively pursued these contracts if they are a conflict of interest?

4. Ms Stone said that the gas box, "isn't done at any of the SPCAs anymore. Not far from the Victoria SPCA, at the SPCA's Wild Ark, there is a gas box.

Does anyone know if Wild Ark still uses the gas box and if so, which species of animals are gassed?

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