Breeders openly breed and sell wolf hybrids even in the Lower Mainland. Many people have reported backyard wolf hybrid breeders to the SPCA, begging for the SPCA to stop them. One case reported to us was appalling in its cruel neglect, but still the SPCA did nothing unless you call a drive-by inspection doing something and no one we knows does. But..the SPCA, as the dog catcher for Surrey does get paid to kill these dogs. It calls that animal welfare.

THE TRIGGER-HAPPY SPCA

LUCKY FOR ROCKY THE SPCA ISN’T ARMED

In the fall of 1998, the neighbours of a cul de sac in Surrey became the unofficial caretakers of Rocky, a stunningly beautiful young wolf hybrid. He had been on the loose for several weeks, and the neighbours’ inquiries of the Vancouver Regional SPCA/Pound in Surrey determined that he had been reported to them in several different locations and that his owner no longer wanted him. This was a remarkable group of neighbours, because they all realized that though Rocky was timid of adults and wouldn’t allow himself to be caught, he was very gentle and no threat to anyone. All the kids in the neighbourhood could pat him, but adults couldn’t. These kind people fed Rocky and so he stayed around. Thinking the SPCA would want to help Rocky, they asked the SPCA to catch him. The Surrey SPCA came grudgingly, sat and smoked, and said they couldn’t catch him.

Highly dissatisfied with this cavalier and uncaring response, one of the neighbours, C.M., phoned Brian Nelson, the Director of Field Operations of the Vancouver Regional SPCA. Nelson is the man who ran his own pound business, Mainland Animal Control and had contracts for disposing of excess dogs in Langley, Chilliwack, Pitt Meadows and Anmore for 7 years, until he was bought out by the Vancouver SPCA, his pound contracts bought out, and was given a highly paid management job with a salary of possibly $100,000 a year or more, plus perks. Mr Nelson said he would see to it that the Surrey SPCA tried harder. The Surrey SPCA came again, and again made little or no attempt to catch Rocky. Thank God! Because Surrey has a reputation for automatically killing wolf hybrids. C.M. again phoned Nelson to complain. This time Nelson said, "If I hear one more complaint about that dog, I’ll come out there and shoot it myself". C.M. phoned Animal Advocates and within ten minutes of arriving we had Rocky in our car and heading to our vet. Rocky lay his head on our shoulder the whole long trip.

We had him neutered and we found him the home from heaven, with a family that has two other rescued dogs, has had hybrids before and understands them, and now Rocky sleeps on the furniture and goes up the mountain or down to the beach every day.

We have been told by M.W. who was in the union with Mr Nelson, when he was an employee of the Surrey SPCA, before he started his own dog disposal business, that at union meetings, Mr Nelson several times expressed the wish that SPCA officers carry guns. If the SPCA ever gets armed – hide your animals!