My name is Helen Schiele. I live in Kelowna and have been a volunteer dog-walker for the Kelowna SPCA since January 2002. On July 3rd, the volunteer dog walking program was put on hold and the next day we learned the reason: About 50 dogs were removed by the Kelowna SPCA from an alleged puppy mill in Beaverdell on July 4th.

The case against Gaston LaPointe, owner of the Beaverdell dogs, was settled some time in October. Shortly after, when the the dogs became SPCA property, 28 were euthanized because they were deemed unsuitable for adoption or foster homes.

In December, one of the dogs, "Grandpaw" was returned to the owner, as part of the settlement.

On January 31, another ten dogs were euthanized, among them two black and silver young dogs that I had taken for an hour's walk just two days earlier.
Although I had taken a few other Beaverdell dogs for walks with my husband earlier in January, these two, Felix and Morley were far more socialized (not pulling) and a pleasure to walk. A man walking a Golden Retriever was so attracted to them he insisted his dog should meet our two, even when we told him they belonged to the SPCA. He just said "my dog is friendly". So they sniffed, happily.

When on Jan.31st I drove to the shelter in the afternoon to walk what I expected to be Felix and Morley, I learned they had been put down just that morning. Around 4:30 in the afternoon, as I was taking a second Beaverdell dog for a walk, I passed a man who was emptying a large freezer just inside the garage. I realized then that the green bags contained the bodies of the 10 hapless Beaverdell dogs.

Later I learned that the dogs had been euthanized not by a vet, but by a senior member of the shelter staff with the assistance of a junior. It may be coincidence, but three of the dogs that I had walked before the Jan.31 euthanasia session, appeared a great deal more stressed than they had been before Jan.31st. Yesterday, one of the dogs refused to enter the garage where the freezer is located. Not wishing to add to his distress I took him back to the kennel by another entry. He was ok with that. Also yesterday, I met a young girl (perhaps still a teenager) while walking "Joe". As she was walking "Josie" also a Beaverdell dog, so we began walking together. She told me haw devasted she was to learn that the dog she had been socializing, "Shirley", had been among the ten to die. She said Shirley was extremely timid with other people, but the minute she came to see Shirley, Shirley would run up greet her. The girl had even brought her mother to see Shirley because she hoped to foster her.

This morning I asked my husband to walk dogs with me because I wanted him to see a small Beaverdell female called "Mouse". She is very nervous, and extremely thin, but I believed if I could foster her it might be a step toward adoption. I know the shelter still deems the remaining 11 dogs unadoptable, so I did not want to use the word "adopt".

When I asked to foster Mouse, I was directed to speak with the assistant manager, Cathy Woodward. She said I could not foster Mouse because they had to do some "reassessments" and the dogs needed to "settle down". Then she added they were supposed to be spayed later in the week. They might consider letting Mouse be fostered on Friday. I then said I would have Mouse spayed myself. No, they would do the spaying themselves. I said I had considerable experience with dogs.
Then the assistant manager said I could not foster because I had two cats. She said their rules did not allow foster dogs to go to a family with other pets. No matter what I said, the answer was no. Try on Friday, she said.

As I understand she had personally killed the 10 dogs on Jan.31, I feared that Friday might be the end for the remaining 11. So when the manager walked by me I asked him if I could foster Mouse. He replied with the same excuses, dogs need to be assessed. At that point, I'm afraid I lost my temper very badly. I told him the SPCA had been assessing the dogs since July 4th. How much longer did they need? I said something like "you killed 28 then 10.... you seem determined to kill the remaining 11. He then said I could not foster. The dog would not be given to me. I said you won't see another penny from me... The only thing I regret saying was "If the dogs are so viscious, why are volunteers permitted to walk them along the Mission Greenway?" I fear my outburst may jeopardize a very excellen dog-walking program.

Although I have not been officially barred from the shelter, I will not go back because I am so disgusted that an SPCA could behave worse than the puppy mill operator. When the dogs were removed in July the owner said that the SPCA would just kill them all. Sadly, he was right and people who already hesitate calling the SPCA about animal abuse may well remember the owners words and do nothing.

What worries me as well in the feeling that the ten who were euthanized on Jan.31 were the more socialized and beautiful. When they come to do in the remainting 11, it may be that much easier to say "See, after all our efforts, they are still unsocialized". I hope I am wrong.

Helen Schiele
Kelowna.