In the interview, Stephen Andrew asked about the Victoria SPCA's Ginger Fund. William Smith left the Victoria SPCA $400,000 for the care of cats because he had loved his cat Ginger so much. The SPCA announced that it is going to clean up the cat overpopulation problem with Mr Smith's money. This is unlikely for several reasons:
1. It is only spending $50,000 a year for six years which totals $300,000, not $400,000. (Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders has been spending that much and more a year on the real care of cats, mostly on sterilizing.)
2. It makes poor people come in, prove poverty, and charges them $50 for a spay. If the vet requires $40 to $60 for vaccines, the SPCA won't pay, the poor person must pay. If the cat has any parasites or infections, the SPCA won't pay, the poor person must pay.
Unless another animal welfare organization will pay. That is just what has already happened. Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders has quietly been shouldering the load for cat spay and neuter and other medical conditions for thirty years. So when one of the cats, that came in under the SPCA's Ginger Fund, had blood in its urine, and it was known that the SPCA would not pay for any "extras", the vet knew to call on GVAC, and of course, GVAC came through. How many Ginger Fund vouchers are being sold and used?
3. The Ginger Fund is not being advertised where it could do the most good: in newspapers (as AAS did in the Spring when we funded the Victoria CatSnip campaign) or with posters at the street level where the poor can find out.
If few know or can afford the SPCA's costs, then the SPCA gets to keep most of Mr Smith's money.
The Victoria SPCA's Ginger Fund - how effective?
http://animaladvocates.com/cgi-bin/newsroom.pl/read/13317
SPCA tells Emily's owner to get help for her "excruciating pain" from GVAC
http://animaladvocates.com/cgi-bin/newsroom.pl/read/13320
Rocky and the Victoria SPCA
http://www.animaladvocates.com/cgi-bin/admin.pl/read/13322
Mr Smith gave the SPCA $400,000 for the "care" of cats
http://www.animaladvocates.com/cgi-bin/admin.pl/read/13343