Published in the Oceanside Star (Parksville/Qualicum) on March 17/07

LOTS OF MONEY SPENT ON SPCA MANAGER'S SALARIES.

Mrs. Rowe is correct in stating that the BCSPCA needs public donations in order to carry out their mandate (SPCA needs support to fight for animals, March 3)

What she failed to mention in her letter is that they receive approximately $20 million annually to do so.

She also states in her letter that the salaries for all staff form a very small portion of the overall cost. While it is true that most SPCA employees province wide receive an often embarrassingly low wage, management staff that has the opportunity to rub elbows with the BCSPCA board of directors are paid salaries approaching $100,000 annually while the BCSPCA's CEO receives well in excess of $100,000 a year.

Donors need to be aware that these salaries are covered in part by donations collected locally and only a portion of the money collected locally is spent locally.

There are a number of deserving local animal rescue groups that are registered charities, most of them run by unpaid volunteers and equally deserving of your donation dollars.

Peter Kempf