I have on so many occasions while walking in the many different neighborhoods of Burnaby come across heart wrenching sights of animals on chains or in back yards; skinny, frightened, with visible injuries or sores and whimpering or barking as you pass. There have been many times I have called the SPCA in the hopes they would intervene and alleviate the suffering.

Although the SPCA can be very sympathetic and will assure you they will speak to the owners, in my experience, nothing significant has ever resulted from any of my complaints.

Two incidences in particular stand out for me. One was a Doberman confined between a fence and garage of a house on Edinburgh St. It was left out day and night confined in a small dark space during one of the coldest winters we ever had. It was pacing non stop back and forth. We called the SPCA twice. They said that the owners were doing nothing illegal because there was a dog house. Even though there were no blankets or insulation in this box, it was still considered shelter and that was all the owner’s were obligated to supply. The fact that it was isolated, ignored, lonely, freezing and underweight did not seem to be of any legal concern. When time went by and the dog was still left in the same condition, my husband approached the owner himself.