I also am interested in learning the BCSPCA's account of the manner in which the Society currently addresses the issue of feral cats.

Close to two years ago, I had a conversation with owners of a Hunting Outfitter and Guide Business located in northern BC and was given information which I felt should be reported to the BCSPCA. Therefore, I informed the BCSPCA Head Office administration of the following which I had been told during that conversation:

The owners of the Hunting Outfitter and Guiding business who spoke to me purchased two hunting hound pups from a breeder who offered to train the pups at an appropriate age to tree large trophy game cats. It was explained by this breeder that training was done by trapping feral cats which were kept on the property for hunting dog training purposes. Trapping was facilitated more easily by failing to feed the feral cats for several days. The trapped feral cats were then released during training sessions to be chased and treed by the dogs. A gunshot was fired by this particular breeder into the air to signal the end of the training exercise when the dog was to return to the hunter.

A second unrelated trainer at a different location stated that he actually shot the treed feral, with the fall of the dead feral cat from the tree signalling the end of the "hunt".

The nearest town is small however an SPCA branch did exist there. In spite of the low population the BCSPCA administration insisted they could not locate the breeder who sold the pups to the Hunting Outfitter and Guide business unless I provided a full name and complete address.

After working on the BCSPCA's request, I was able to provide a first and last name of the wife but not her husband and their general location to the local SPCA branch. The local SPCA constable attended, identified themselves as such and was shown a piece of cougar pelt which was used in training the hounds. Any use of feral cats for training purposes by the breeder who sold the pups to the owners of the Hunting Outfitter and Guide Business I spoke to was denied. I wouldn't expect any other response to a clearly identified special constable. I was informed that the SPCA branch in question considered the matter closed.

The owners of the Hunting Outfitter and Guide business I spoke to did not follow up with training of their dogs. Tragically, both dogs were killed at the hunt camp before they were three years old in completely preventable incidents. That is another story which sickens me to this day.

This year the same Hunting Outfitter and Guide business owners I spoke to nearly two years ago have a cat at home which recently had a litter of kittens. Two of these kittens are "selected" for their Hunting Outfitter and Guide Business and will be left unspayed or not neutered, alone at the hunting camp to control mice around the main hall, staff living quarters and cabins in preparation for the return of hunters late in the Fall of 2006. I have not reported this information to the nearest SPCA branch or to the Head Office of the BCSPCA due to extreme discouragement following my own previous effort and the given outcome.

Since the degree of considering animals to be disposable personal property attracted only slight interest and resulted in the feeble effort of the SPCA as an investigation at the time of my complaint, I do want to know if and\or in what way the policies and procedures regarding feral cats in any situation has changed.

I am keeping watch on the kittens whose fate I described above and plan to report their abandonment at the opportune time to someone whom I know will have the desire, expertise and patience required to rescue them and bring them to the safety and love which they deserve.