Another well-meaning, but misinformed SPCA fan is at it again. Yesterday's Province published another defence of the SPCA's decades of blaming the public. The writer says:

"Instead of getting mad at the animal shelters which are trying to solve the pet overpopulation problem, get mad at the careless pet owners."

That's the old, "it's not the caring SPCA that is the problem, it's all those irresponsible owners" bluff. In what way has the SPCA ever tried to solve the pet overpopulation problem? The SPCA profited from decades of disposing of the pets of those "irresponsible owners", by pound contracts, and by reselling the pets. While doing that for fifty years it never tried to stop puppymills or get control of breeding laws to force people to behave more responsibly. As for SPCA spay/neuter programs? - only just enough for the p.r. value. The "irresponsible owners" argument is like saying that it's not up to government to make laws against crooks and murders, it's up to the crooks and murderers to behave better. Responsible people don't need laws - laws are absolutely needed for the irresponsible. The SPCA has not tried to get laws to stop breeding and then has made itself look lily-white pure by pointing the finger at all those awful "irresponsible" people. Then this falsity gets entrenched by being endlessly repeated in the media. Nothing will change until the public truly understands what is going on so that it can demand control of breeding laws.