The CRD pound just replaced its dishonest signage that said "CRD Animal Shelter" to "CRD Pound", so kudos to the CRD Pound.

We give the full credit for that bit of honesty and for all the wonderful improvements for animals at the CRD pound to the amazing group of volunteers at the CRD, people like Carol Broad, who created the web site at http://www.victoriaadoptables.com/ and who are raising money and paying out of their own pockets to help CRD animals. Homes are being carefully screened by the volunteers and many people, who not long ago would have been sold a dog, no questions asked, are being turned down. And many dogs that would have been too sick or too unsocialized to be sold in the past, are being fostered by volunteers, where they are rehabilitated away from the pound's cells.

All this happened when Carol Sonnex, the co-ordinator for Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders (GVAC), a highly-regarded Victoria spay/neuter society, began working at the CRD Pound last year in the hope that she could make improvements for pound animals there, after years of trying to have the Victoria SPCA make improvements had failed. Carol and the volunteers are going to change the CRD's treatment of feral cats too. Just watch - they are the "can do" people! Carol says the pound animals are so lucky to have these dedicated volunteers and we couldn't agree more.

GVAC is now paying many of the bills for sick or unneutered CRD animals. It used to do this for the SPCA's animals, but negative changes at the Victoria SPCA in the last few years made this frustrating and unworkable. Carol, and many others who were closely connected to the Victoria SPCA, have documented those frustrations on this board.