Question: Should the BC SPCA, an avowed animal protection and welfare society, be the paid agency which kills dogs for municipalities? In recent years many other municipalities chose to do animal control themselves or to contract with other humane societies. Is seizing and destroying dogs to protect the public a conflict with the SPCA's mandate to protect dogs from the public? Tell us what you think. animaladvocates@telus.net
Judge grants pit bulls reprieve from death
Ian Mulgrew, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, August 29, 2008
Three pit bulls seized after a spate of vicious attacks across southeastern B.C. won't be destroyed until they are assessed and alternative arrangements considered after their owner and animal lovers turned up to defend them in provincial court.
One of the four dogs that were in the custody of the Surrey SPCA after being confiscated by police, however, already has been put down with the approval of owner Hal Douglas Harris -- who was charged with 24 bylaw offences in connection with three maulings after he left the court proceedings Thursday.
As well, I have learned two of the dogs in custody are considered puppies and the third dog has given birth to a litter while in the care of the pound.
Animal lovers retained lawyer Kirk Tousaw, of Conroy and Co., after the four dogs were impounded and the SPCA said it intended to execute them because they were behind at least eight gory attacks on people and other animals over the past year.
"Our hope is we can get an expert in and take a look at the dogs, see if they can be rehabilitated and if so place them in good homes so they don't have to be killed," he said.
Provincial court Judge John Lenaghan put the case over until Sept. 17 during which time the SPCA and the dog lovers will try to agree on an independent animal assessor.
Regardless, the dogs will get their day in court.
No life or death decision will be made until at least April 17, 2009, Tousaw said, when a hearing on the dogs' fate has been scheduled in the event another solution is not found.
"The important thing today is that they have a reprieve," he added.
"My clients will now work with the SPCA and if the dogs can be saved, they will be. It's important to remember here that the dogs in the case of Michael Vick [the former NFL star quarterback recently convicted in a dog-fighting scheme] have all been rehabilitated and are now in good, new homes. There is no reason the same can't happen with these dogs."
He said the local case highlighted "a real gap" in the provincial animal welfare laws.
Lauren Phillips, who along with others got involved after hearing about the dogs' plight, said she was very happy with the result.
"There should be a process to assess the dogs -- that's what we wanted to see," she said. "That's going to happen now."
Harris appeared at the court hearing to argue against the destruction of his animals. But he remained mute during the brief hearing.
Outside the court, Harris said reports about the incidents, six of which occurred in Surrey, and the accusations made to justify requests to have the pit bulls put down were incorrect.
Asked to elaborate, though, the heavy-set, silver-haired man in a hoodie and jean jacket replied: "No, I have no comment."
Harris was stopped by Vancouver police Aug. 11 as he drove a van with the dogs inside.
The police said authorities on Vancouver Island and in the Lower Mainland had trouble tracking him down after reports of the attacks because Harris lives in his van and had been travelling back and forth.
Don Howieson, the lawyer who appeared for the City of Surrey, dashed away after the hearing, trailing camera operators and reporters who futilely shouted questions.
You would have thought he was the culprit. Or maybe he was simply afraid this is the start of a move to establish a canine Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
imulgrew@vancouversun.com
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/columnists/story.html?id=93c86867-a6df-4db2-a49b-e8343d0cf33a