http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1052557.html

Province to revamp animal cruelty law

By JUDY MYRDEN Staff Reporter
Mon. Apr 28 - 5:13 AM

Agriculture Minister Brooke Taylor plans to fast-track new legislation this spring to deal with squabbling within the provinceʼs animal welfare agency.

"This feuding is very, very worrisome and we are going to have to take a look at it," Mr. Taylor said in a telephone interview from his home Sunday.

"We are certainly not oblivious to whatʼs going on at the SPCA. Itʼs beyond whatʼs acceptable and not in the interest of the animals."

Mr. Taylor said his department has been drafting new legislation pertaining to the Animal Cruelty Prevention Act and will now include a "dispute mechanism" to resolve any disagreements within the non-profit organization.

He expects to introduce the legislation within the next two weeks during the sitting of the provincial legislature.

"It is something we are giving very serious consideration, to deal with disputes that are unable to be settled through regular circumstances. Itʼs a work in progress right now."

While the SPCA has its own bylaws and form of governance, the organization falls under the Animal Cruelty Prevention Act, which is governed by the provincial Agriculture Department.

"Clearly this (infighting) cannot go on. People will lose confidence in the SPCA and that is not desirable for anyone or the animals."

While the non-profit society receives no government funding, it must rely on public donations and the minister expressed concern that the societyʼs annual meeting was held behind closed doors at a Halifax hotel on Saturday. The public, the media and some former members of the SPCA were banned from attending.

Mr. Taylor said he has received "a lot of feedback" about Saturdayʼs meeting, including a staff memberʼs report that was "pretty much in agreement" with media reports of the event.

During the three-hour meeting, the SPCA board, which has been publicly criticized by members and former members for its handling of an alleged animal cruelty case in Cape Breton, survived a confidence motion.

The vote was 81-47 in favour of the board.

After the meeting, many people expressed concern about the three-person executive and handed out pamphlets. Some of those people had their memberships revoked before the meeting and complained that the meeting was stacked with animal shelter workers told to vote in favour of the motion.

SPCA past president Judith Gass denied the accusations and said shelter staff regularly attend the societyʼs annual meeting. She also said the infighting is not uncommon in the society as members of the "animal world" are passionate about their work and animals.

Initially, Ms. Gass refused to be interviewed by reporters after the meeting and swung open a door to leave the room, striking a reporter from The Chronicle Herald.

Other members were upset with the comments of Dartmouth lawyer Terry Degen, who chaired the meeting. They said he referred to the women at the meeting as "chatty Cathys" and said there was so much "estrogen in the room I want to neuter myself."

Mr. Degen refused to respond and quickly left the hotel as some of the women heckled him in the lobby.