THE SPCA AND THE "RESERVES PROBLEM"

There is no denying that the way animals are treated on Native reserves is the worst in BC, in fact in all of Canada, and unless this fact is addressed by the BC SPCA there will be no prevention of cruelty on reserves by the SPCA.

The SPCA has avoided the expense and time of addressing this huge problem by saying over and over to many people that it can't go on a reserve without an invitation or permission. We even were told by Katherine McKnight, the president of the West Vancouver SPCA's Community Council just last month that her long-time SPCA manager told her this.

This misrepresentation is certainly effective. Not one person who has told AAS that they were told that by the SPCA, even by senior SPCA Constables, questioned the veracity of the excuse to do nothing. AAS is then contacted in despair and that is how we find out these stories of abuse that go on right in our neighbourhoods, that are so shocking that most people can't stomach hearing them.

The voices of reserve animals must be heard, but the SPCA is shutting them up when it says it can't legally go on reserves to investigate a report of cruelty. The PCA Act covers every square inch of BC and does not except reserves. The SPCA can and does get paid to do dogcatching/disposal on a few reserves, but that is no help to the suffering dogs. It's time for everyone to speak for dogs on reserves since the SPCA won't seem to.