First Craig Daniell says the SPCA has no euthanasia statistics, then he says BC SPCA has one of the lowest rates in North America

Posted By: AAS
Date: Thursday, 3 June 2004, at 6:16 p.m.

To Barbara Yaffe

Every time I have asked for euthanasia statistics I've been told that staff didn't have the time to collect such information. In June 2003 I asked Nadine Gourkow for specific information about the number of dogs and cats entering the SPCA system and the number adopted, released, and euthanized. Proper record keeping is the foundation of statistical analysis. In an e-mail Ms. Gourkow claimed to be "too short staffed" to provide any numbers.

You, Ms Yaffe, printed in your article that the SPCA "... does not have statistics on the number that get euthanized although it is working on compiling them for The Vancouver Sun."

In his letter published today Craig Daniell states "In fact, the B.C. SPCA has one of the lowest euthanasia rates anywhere in North America ...."

It is hard to believe that the SPCA have compiled the information in such a short time, and also compared it to all of the other euthanasia rates throughout North America, as Mr Daniell clearly states has happened.

I hope that you will publish the elusive statistics once you have examined them.

Joann Bessler
AAS Research Coordinator