Animal Advocates Watchdog

Volunteers and rescuers are utterly terrified of speaking against the SPCA

[s3[Volunteers and rescuers are utterly terrified of speaking against the SPCA

I don't think anything can change until those who support the BCSPCA pull their heads out of the sand and demand accountability.

In my experience, taking concerns to SPCA management gets nowhere and changes nothing. Then taking concerns beyond the SPCA activates their damage control steam roller which flattens the complainants and leaves their comrades cowering in the shadows.

I made a presentation about the SPCA to my city hall almost a year ago. Even the editor of a local paper was appalled by the SPCA's reaction, per the paper's on-line blog: "If the SPCA had simply responded to MacMillan's criticisms, I would have had no problem with that. They have every right to answer back if they think the claims are untrue. And I'm sure they are worried because they are in the middle of trying to raise money for a new shelter. Readers can check out both stories and make up their own minds. But that wasn't good enough for the SPCA. I received an e-mail from their head office in Vancouver that attacked MacMillan herself. The same personal attacks were shared with our reporter as well during a phone interview. The SPCA says MacMillan has a vendetta against the SPCA and is a disgruntled former volunteer...."

It looks like the SPCA can do whatever it wants because those who support it don't see it from the inside, and if people on the inside see things that that make them speak up, they get discredited and banished.

Meanwhile, the SPCA milks a few chosen cases for all the positive publicity they can wring out of them (a starved dog, an abandoned puppy...) while nothing is heard of the fate of many other animals who also needed extra help. And nothing ever will be heard. As the newspaper's blog went on to say, "No organization is perfect and I am not saying that MacMillan's views are correct, but the fact is people have concerns and are utterly terrified of speaking up." That, it seems, is the way the SPCA likes it.

Yet if enough people speak up as Lesa invites them to, that could penetrate to those who can change things. One person can be crazy; two people can be in collusion; but a large number of voices from all over -- that would be hard to discredit and hard to ignore. If only....

Messages In This Thread

SPCA threats, intimidation and retribution
I invite all BC rescuers to stand up and have the courage to tell what they know about the SPCA
Groups don't have to be approved. They just have to buy the animals
Volunteers and rescuers are utterly terrified of speaking against the SPCA
There are many of us who are speaking up and the B.C. SPCA can not sue or threaten to sue all of us

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