RESPONSE TO SPCA LETTER
In response to the letter from Anke Scheffler, I would like to say that this is a lady with incredible courage. She has been through so much in the past months, drawing attention to the problems associated with the SPCA. It is sad that so many caring and devoted people have left the shelter. In my opinion each of the 37 branches surely has its own identity, commu¬nity, and animal needs. Dedicated staff and volunteers are hard to find and should be valued for their experience and animal knowledge. I am reminded of a television commercial where the message is that People are the "Core" in an organization. To lose that many people in such a short time, must surely signify that something is not working right. Maybe a private, locally run shelter is the answer. I'm sure there are both dedicated and qualified people on the coast.
Alan Barnes Sechelt

ANOTHER SPCA EXPERIENCE
Two bits from someone, regarding the SPCA brouhaha, who was/is not a volunteer, an employee or a friend of anyone there.
Six weeks ago or so, not knowing anything about this situation, or the working hours of the SPCA, I went up to see about volunteering. (I'm a professional volunteer, alas!) Anyway, there was a bit of a commotion, seems a dog had got loose, and several people were trying to catch it. The dog, however, came to me (was it request¬ing help?) and I got hold of its collar and patted it. Some woman came and took the dog away. No thanks, no word, no acknowledgement. No one asked what I was doing there or what I wanted. So I asked a rather heavy-set woman about volunteering. Her response? A brusque: "We're closed." Much later I spoke to a friend who does volunteer, and she was surprised at the cold shoulder. I'm sorry to hear about the situation, sorry for the animals, actually. But here's another viewpoint, as it were.
A. Kaye Davis Bay

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