Monday, May 19, 2003

Kim Capri,
COO, BC SPCA

RE: SURRENDERED PUPPY MILL SMALL DOGS, KAMLOOPS SPCA IMPENDING DESTRUCTION OF MORE DOGS

On Friday March 29th, thirty-four small dogs were surrendered to the Kamloops SPCA. Nineteen remained in Kamloops, while the others were sent elsewhere. They were puppy mill cockers, poodles and shih-tzus. All showed signs of repeated breeding and had various medical concerns. None were socialized or housetrained.

They were put into small kennels (with no outside runs) that are generally used to house cats. An endless parade of unscreened members of the public was allowed to sit in the kennels with the dogs in order to socialize them.

Over one hundred Special Adoption applications were filled out and returned during the first week of May, including my own. I personally was not contacted again until Wednesday, May 16. As of Saturday, May 18, only three small dogs had been adopted, two fostered, and two poodles are being sent to Vancouver to go to a correctional facility. Two were destroyed. One was Brenda, a timid dog that I and another woman had applied to adopt. These surrendered dogs should have been placed in foster care long ago before adoption was attempted. They have been in the SPCA kennels too long already. Now the public interest has waned and they no longer receive visitors. Some of the dogs are regressing due to lack of human contact. Is this is fate of future puppy mill dogs?

I had requested to adopt Freckles and Brenda, two of the more needy, less responsive cockers. Brenda, along with a poodle cross named Tamra, were euthanized shortly after I applied to adopt her, a fact I did not become aware of until told by a distressed SPCA employee that "they just came and took them. We found out later what had happened." Some SPCA staff were unaware that I had specifically requested Brenda in my Special Adoption application. The reasons given to me by Bonnie Bischoff (who may be a trained SPCA CAMP assessor, SPCA staff said they did not know what her position is) for their euthanizations were, for Brenda: progressive impending blindness, fear and anxiety; for Tamra: fear and anxiety. The picture below is from the SPCA web site, and is myself with Freckles, left, and Brenda, who was destroyed, on the right. I have since adopted a timid, completely blind two-year old cocker named Ivy from the same group of dogs, who is already extremely sociable and a treasure to have at home.

Bonnie Bischoff continually refers to the term "organic brain disorder" as being "suspect" in these particular dogs, namely the cockers. The assessment of these small dogs includes dropping a metal food bowl on the floor to see how much the dogs are frightened and how quickly they recover. There are three other dogs, Kelly, Barker, and Lisa, that also display the same fear and anxiety that Brenda and Tamra did. Are they next?

When I talked with Bonnie Bischoff on Friday, May 16, she said that Kelly was in foster care over the weekend. She told me that if progress was not made by the time Kelly returned to the SPCA on Tuesday, she would be euthanized. Bonnie reasoned that if Kelly didn't make progress over the weekend in "this home" she never would. FOUR DAYS IS NOT ENOUGH.

At no time to my knowledge and experience have any of the dogs bitten or displayed aggressive behaviour indicative of a mental disorder. These small dogs show signs of severe neglect at the hands of humans, not "organic brain disorders". Their symptoms include barking, cowering in kennel corners, shaking, and dependence on the braver dogs for moral support. They do not include aggression, "rage" of any kind, biting or vicious barking.

If you go into the separate area where stray dogs are kept, the cacophony of barking is deafening. Is this now justification for euthanization? When does the killing stop?

It may take months or years for these puppy mill dogs to adjust. If people are willing to try to help the dogs, why should they not be given the chance? These dogs are very overwhelmed and frightened and the assessment procedure being used is grossly unfair. The fearful, timid dogs are not permitted to go to homes with their kennel mates because it makes them "too dependent on the other dogs and they will not progress socially". Instead, the SPCA has chosen to destroy two dogs already who, given the chance with the proper family, could have been socialized and cared for. Please explain? just what did we "rescue" them from - from a familiar, un-frightening cage, to be placed in a strange, terrifying cage, and then to be put to sleep? These dogs are deprived of a home setting and a chance at life.

At one point I even asked about the feasibility of using rescue groups. Bonnie's response was that the SPCA would only use rescue groups as a last resort, as they all kennel their dogs, which means they would just go from kennel to kennel.

The ultimatum given by Bonnie Bischoff was that if Kelly didn?t show any progress after four days of fostering, she would be euthanized.

I hope by writing this letter I will not be too late to stop the possible needless destruction of Kelly on Tuesday, May 20, 2003 and draw attention to the fate of the remaining dogs.

Sincerely,

Lynda Miller
Kamloops, BC

More photos, posts and info at http://www.animaladvocates.com/SPCA-kamloops-puppymill.htm

Lynda Miller with Freckles and Brenda. Brenda (looking at the camera) was killed shortly after Miller filled in an adoption application for her. The photo was taken by the SPCA and used on its web site to appeal for doantions long after Brenda had been killed, and in spite of repeated demands by Miller that it be removed. Using a photo of an animal it has killed to get money to "help it save animals" is just one of hundreds of examples of SPCA blatant deceit and falsity. It has done this with impunity for decades...