Advocate accuses politicians of coverup
John Kurucz, staff reporter

One animal rights advocate is again looking to the city and the SPCA for answers, and is asking Mayor Corrigan and six city officials to step aside until she gets them.

Donna Liberson, spokesperson for the Animal Rights Coalition, is calling for an independent investigation into the awarding of a 2003 contract extension between the city and the SPCA.

The recent development comes on the heels of a lengthy fight on the part of Liberson to obtain a series of once-confidential documents from the city regarding alleged animal neglect at the Burnaby SPCA.

In March 2004, the coalition requested a copy of the report but was denied access to the information by the city because of privacy issues.

In December 2004, Liberson obtained some documents through a Freedom of Information request but only received portions of the documentation, with many passages whited out.

Some of the 22 incidents flagged in that initial summary included: a cat, with "rotting flesh, and maggots," which was eventually euthanized; a rabbit with "urine burns and swollen genitalia" and a dog with an eye infection and hair loss.

The report also flagged delays in administering the proper care for the animals.

On Oct. 7 of this year, a Freedom of Information adjudicator ruled that the city had to disclose the report in its entirety and Liberson received the report on Nov. 22 - three days after the municipal elections.

"The document is just disgusting," Liberson said. "I had a hard time reading the whole thing."

Frustrated by the entire process, Liberson has hinted at the fact that she believes the documents were purposely delivered after the election, as to not endanger the re-election of Corrigan and five incumbent councillors - Colleen Jordan, Lee Rankin, Pietro Calendino, Dan Johnston and Nick Volkow.

She maintains that had Burnaby voters known of the alleged cover-up, the recent municipal election results would have been different.

As a result, Liberson's group has called for an independent investigation into the renewal of the SPCA's contract and is demanding that Corrigan, the five councillors, and the city's director of finance, Rick Earle, "step aside" pending the outcome of that investigation.

The NOW initially brought the story to light in March of this year, when Liberson voiced her displeasure with what she felt was a lack of information being released.

In November 2003, the SPCA was awarded a three-year contract on the heels of a staff report prepared by Earle, one that stated, "the SPCA continue to provide effective animal control and shelter service to the community."

A city staff report dated for Nov. 24, 2003, recommended council renew the SPCA's contract, and council voted in favour of the renewal that same day.

The contract, which runs from Jan. 1, 2004 to Dec. 31, 2006, came at a cost of $451,415.

Four days later, however, Craig Collis, the city's chief licensing inspector, sent a letter to the SPCA outlining a list of concerns the city had about its practices.

The letter read, "22 situations, from 2002 October to 2003 January, in which animals were treated in a manner that fails to meet the city's reasonable expectations."

"Why was that done after the fact?" Liberson asked. "The order was totally backwards, it was an absolute whitewash. The whole thing is fishy."

But despite Liberson's lingering questions, no Freedom of Information regulations were contravened. According to provincial legislation, a Freedom of Information request must be sent out within 30 working days - Liberson received the report only days before that time frame was set to expire.

Michelle Barroca, a records and information administrator with the city, said the time it took for Liberson to receive her request was nothing out of the ordinary, as some requests require the full 30-day period to be sent.

She said the city receives between 70 to 80 Freedom of Information requests per year, and the turnaround time before one receives the information depends on the volume of materials needed and the nature of a given request.

In response to Liberson's allegations, Volkow characterized the situation as "rubbish."

"I have never received a phone call from a citizen in my nine years on council with regards to the practices at the SPCA," Volkow said. "There is no reason to believe that the SPCA isn't giving the proper care to animals needed,"

Volkow offered little support to the call for himself and the other councillors to step aside during a potential investigation.

"Is she out of her mind?" Volkow asked, adding that he would not step down. "As a councillor, I voted on the contract based on impartial sources - i.e. city staff."

Johnston said Liberson's allegations "sound politically motivated," and he defended the practices of the city's licensing department.

"It's ludicrous to say that anything was withheld because of the election," Johnston said. "Our licensing staff is quite diligent and active in monitoring how the SPCA operates."

Much like the other city officials contacted by the NOW, Rankin had no idea that Liberson was calling for an independent investigation nor that she had asked for the city officials to step down during a potential hearing.

"Issuing a press release is a pretty odd way to deal with issues - it's not a serious way to deal with issues," Rankin said. "It strikes me as a very theatrical way to deal with an issue rather than a practical way. The normal way of dealing with a complaint is to make a submission to council."

On top of her call for an investigation, Liberson maintains that there is no effective way of policing or monitoring the SPCA.

"I think we need a police force or some sort of independent body that's funded by the provincial government to supervise the SPCA and municipal pounds," Liberson said. "You need accountability and there is none. If you have a complaint against the SPCA, it is investigated by the SPCA."

But, according to Mark Takhar, manager of the local SPCA shelter, any problems that were flagged in years past have been resolved.

"Some of these incidences occurred over three years ago and, at the time, all of the allegations were reviewed and those issues were addressed and dealt with," Takhar said. "Since then, we're made adjustments and corrected any mistakes that may have been made."

The incidents investigated by the local shelter centred around one individual at the time, and that volunteer has since been transferred from the local shelter.

"The organization has restructured itself, and there have been no claims since that time," Takhar said. "As a society we have moved forward, but unfortunately some people are living in the past."

Takhar emphasized his commitment to being open to public scrutiny, whether it be from concerned citizens or members of city hall.

"I've made it very clear to the public and to city council members to come to the shelter - my office door is always open to talk about any areas of concern people may have," Takhar said.

published on 12/10/2005