On Friday, CTV aired a disturbing piece about a neglected dog called Finnegan. Tied outside for years, Finnegan's neighbours called the SPCA countless times to no avail. While anonymous rescuers eventually did the work we blithely believe the SPCA is doing, in the end it was too late. Finnegan, who had to be chiselled off the front porch he was literally frozen to, had to be euthanized.

While the story infuriates me, as someone who has donated thousands of dollars to the SPCA, what infuriates me more is the SPCA's response that they are "only human", implying Finnegan's case was a rare oversight. When actually cases like Finnegan's are numerous.

Earlier this year, I discontinued my SPCA financial support over a similar case. When I learned neighbours had gone to HongKong for six months and left their old 15-lb dog in the backyard, I called the SPCA. While they checked on the dog, they would not rescue him. And so the dog, left in the yard of an abandoned home, endured the rain, wind, and snow of fall 2006. On top of it all, he showed dire need of medical attention given a tennis ball sized tumour.

While someone came over every once in a while to fill his bowl, often coyotes and bears got to his food first. After over a dozen calls, the SPCA admitted they would not rescue the dog, but would "educate" the owners upon their return.

Sadly, there was no dog to educate the owners about. The dog disappeared after about three months of this abandonment. In a neighbourhood littered with coyotes and devoid of an organization willing to take action, this ending is no big surprise.

Which begs the question: What does the "P" in SPCA really stand for? Certainly not "Prevention".

Jo Dionne