In December, BC SPCA spokesperson Lorie Chortyk was quoted in some lower mainland newspapers saying that the reason the SPCA was not going to sue CYA for statements on its web site that the SPCA alleges are defamatory is because that would direct funds away from the animals in the SPCA's care.

This statement is deliberately misleading - because the SPCA has twice paid big legal firms to try to muzzle AAS's web site. Twice it has spent thousands to try to silence AAS, using money trustingly donated for animal-care.

AAS responded with this letter which was published in the Maple Ridge News:

The Editor,
The Maple Ridge News

BC SPCA spokeswoman Lorie Chortyk says (on why the SPCA decided not to sue the directors of CYA, a web site critical of the SPCA), that "the legal costs would direct funds way from animals in SPCA care".

Whoa! Chortyk knows that the SPCA first paid the big, expensive law firm of Owen Bird to try to shut down the Animal Advocates Society of BC's web site, and when that failed (because AAS's claims are substantiated), it hired the even bigger firm of Lawson Lundell to try to force AAS's web host into shutting down our site. In fact, this particular attempt to silence a critic has been going on since October 21, and the bills must be really mounting up now!

It's this kind of dishonesty and this kind of self-serving, not animal -serving, that got the SPCA into such hot water in the first place.

Judy Stone
President, Animal Advocates Society of BC

On January 10, on CKNW, SPCA board member Marguerite Vogel repeated this misleading statement by saying, "Yes, in fact our legal opinion says that we're in a position to be able to do that, we simply don't want to use scarce resources in court action. We would rather do anything than use money in that way."

What a shame that the SPCA thinks it can still get away with dissembling as a way to discredit its critics. What a shame that it still makes completely misleading statements like the ones by Chortyk and Vogel.

It's not going to be able to forever though, thanks to the power of the internet and thanks to the few people who are not fooled by anything the SPCA says - and who are unafraid to say so.