October 15, 2002, Vancouver All Candidates’ Meeting, SFU Harbour Centre

In 1996, Animal Advocates began asking the City to improve the lives of Vancouver’s hundreds of isolated yard dogs, who spend their miserable lives on chains, in pens and garages, and on balconies.

In June of 2001, we presented Council with our 50 page report of yard dogs in Vancouver, with all the research that shows how they suffer physically and emotionally, and how many of them become angry enough to be a severe risk to the public, especially children.

City Council used three tactics to avoid expense and responsibility: It decided to encourage the SPCA to do better, but the problem has not abated at all: It said that its Charter does not permit animal welfare laws, but the Charter does not prohibit them: It said that City Pound is doing animal welfare, but the City has given the Pound no humane bylaws to enforce.

The City has abrogated its duty to the citizens of Vancouver who are at risk of being attacked. The City is leaving the relief of these dogs’ suffering to those who live near them and are driven to go and remove them in the middle of the night. Most of these decent people are women, many of them elderly.

Everyone says they care. My question is this: Who among you will vote to do something?

Watch the board to see who answered our question to our satifaction.

The link to the AAS report that shocked and horrified some of the cnadidates and which the incumbents have had for a year and a half, is below.