Excerpted from the Chilliwack Times, January 17, 2003

Shelter shuts down

By Lisa Morry - lmorry@chilliwacktimes.com

Volunteers and staff at the Chilliwack SPCA could hardly believe it this week when society officials told them the animal shelter would close.

But it was volunteer Ena Vermerris who felt the cut most keenly.

Vermerris had just completed a $30,000 project and personal investment in a building for cats at the SPCA's Hopedale Road location. In fact, the groundbreaking was just five weeks ago and SPCA brass were there, Vermerris said.

"It's the lack of honesty," Vermerris said. "I just feel betrayed."

Vermerris said she would have used the money to build the cat house, which is dedicated to the memory of her nephew Jeff Caterina, who died 10 years ago at age 13 from leukemia, in a different way if she had known closure of the Chilliwack site was imminent.

"There are lots of private shelters begging for help," Vermerris said, her voice shaking and tears gathering in her eyes. "The money still would have gone to the benefit of animals. I'm angry and I think I have reason to be.

"I regret the loss to the community."

Vermerris is a regular volunteer at the SPCA. Retired from nursing this past summer, she dedicates at least three mornings a week to working with the cats at the Chilliwack shelter. She built all the shelves and ledges for the cats herself, covering them in indoor/outdoor carpet. She takes the washing home so that it will not become contaminated by mixing it with other shelter laundry.

Vermerris said she loves all animals, but cats are her favourite.

When asked what she wanted for her retirement present, she said she told her colleagues that she would appreciate a collection to donate to the SPCA. Doctors and nurses at Chilliwack hospital raised $1,200 and that investment too, is gone. Also gone is the community goodwill that Vermerris called on to build the cat run, which she calls a cat-arena-a play on words on her nephew's name. At least a dozen local companies helped her with prices on materials she needed for the cat-arena.

"There's a tremendous amount of goodwill from local businesses," Vermerris said, citing CANEX Building Supplies as one of the major contributors to the project. "How are they going to feel?"

At the last Chiefs' game, fans did a food fundraiser for the local SPCA and staff said they don't know if the Chiefs have heard the latest. Staff said seniors frequently come in and donate to the animals from their pensions.

News that the SPCA was to close was not distributed widely. A news release was posted on the B.C. SPCA's website (www.spca.bc.ca) but was not sent directly to the Times.

The news release explains that the decision to close both the Chilliwack and Langley shelters and expand the Abbotsford shelter to cover a larger territory came out of public consultation meetings.

"Staff members, volunteers, municipalities, members and donors have been highly critical of the state of some of our Lower Mainland shelters and it is clear that we can no longer continue to operate in sub-standard facilities or to invest large amounts of money for the upkeep of aging shelters that no longer provide safe and adequate housing for the animals in our care," the SPCA website states, in part.

However, staff and volunteers at the Chilliwack shelter point out that the cat facility has just been finished, to a high quality standard, and the large animal barn, never finished, is only a couple of years old.

Volunteers Stephanie Smith and Kathy Leonard said they were still in shock.

"It's the most satisfying thing I've done in my life," Leonard said, questioning what will happen when dogs or cats are found in the community after the shelter is gone.

Smith said they would probably be dumped.

One staffer, who preferred not to give a name, said staff are not in it for the nine dollars an hour they earn.

"I would gladly work for nine dollars an hour if they would keep this shelter open," the staff member said. "The community needs this resource for the animals."

However, B.C. SPCA spokesperson Lorie Chortyk said the society will retain ownership of the Chilliwack facility and could use the barn for large animal boarding facility. The shelter functions will be relocated to an expanded Abbotsford location, as would those of the Langley shelter, which is also to close.

It is possible that the new Chilliwack cat facility could also be relocated to Abbotsford, Chortyk said, adding that a final decision has not yet been made.

Another change will be the expansion of storefront SPCA adoption facilities like the one in Petcetera in Chilliwack. Those will actually enhance services to animals by discouraging the market for puppy mills, Chortyk said. Freeing up more resources for cruelty investigations will also increase services, she said.

"We're aware for staff and volunteers it's certainly an adjustment," Chortyk said.

All the volunteers are talking about forming a humane society in response to the crisis. For more information, call Smith at 604-794-9920 or Vermerris at 604-858-9045.