Activists want SPCA to stop serving meat at fundraisers
CanWest News Service; Vancouver Sun
Published: Wednesday, August 23, 2006
VANCOUVER - Energized by their success in Prince Rupert last week, where they convinced the local SPCA to cancel a fundraising event that involved boiling live crabs, animal rights activists now want the B.C. SPCA to ban the serving of meat at their fundraisers.

"This is prime time to ask the SPCA to revisit their own policies to do with fundraisers, and to roll out a new policy that would work towards events that would not involve the killing of animals,'' said Sinikka Crosland, president of the Responsible Animal Care Society, an Okanagan-based animal-protection group.

Crosland, who was instrumental in the campaign against the Prince Rupert crab cookoff, said it was hypocritical of the SPCA to serve meat at fundraisers.

"The SPCA does a lot of good work,'' she said. "However, I think they need to go beyond that. This is not just about dogs and cats; it's about factory farmed animals, too.''

The Canadian Voice for Animals has posted an online petition demanding an end to all SPCA fundraising events that involve the serving and consuming of meat.

Craig Naherniak, general manager of humane education for the B.C. SPCA, said vegetarian choices are often available at SPCA fundraising events, and that branches "are moving in that direction.''

However, he said it was not B.C. SPCA policy to force branches to discontinue cooking and serving meat. That was a matter for individual branches to decide on their own.

Vancouver Sun

© CanWest News Service 2006