The so called rescue of the Beaverdell dogs seems to me to be ill conceived from the very beginning. All the animal groups in the Okanagan area have heard complaints for years about the conditions these dogs were living in. Animal rescuers have even gone as far as taking Beaverdell puppies and breeding females because the SPCA could not or would not act. For the shelter staff to move in and confiscate over fifty dogs on one day was an overwhelming task.

Where were the logistics about where and how these animals were to be placed? What would become of the countless other dogs being surrendered to an already full shelter? I have been told that some dogs were sent to the Penticton shelter, which was already overcrowded. What was their fate? I suspect that the dramatic, media saturated rescue was no more than an attempt to garner waning public support and fill shelter bank accounts.

Then, to take these so called unsocialized dogs from their lives on ropes tied to trees and place them together with other unsocialized, unfixed dogs in metal cages with concrete floors, is, in my opinion, simply exchanging one hell for another. It is impossible to accurately assess the temperament of animals in such a stressful environment. Dog walkers report that the animals were friendly towards people and other animals. The walkers were also given permission to walk the Beaverdell dogs in areas which were highly public.

The most unconscionable act in this whole debacle is the SPCA allowing these dogs to breed and produce litters while they were in the shelter. The BCSPCA states on its website that "pet overpopulation is still a serious problem in British Columbia". Why on earth would they add to this serious problem by allowing dogs with "questionable" temperaments to breed indiscriminately? Could it be because puppies are cute and easier to sell than large, unfixed, unsocialized adult dogs? How much does the shelter get for each puppy sold? Enough to cover the euthanasia costs of the adult dogs anyway. With the BCSPCA stating so emphatically that it has "proactive spaying and neutering programs" there is no excuse, in my opinion, for these puppies to have been born in the first place.

This latest incident has galvanized animal lovers throughout the Okanagan to speak out against the Kelowna shelter. For me, it is the final straw in a long list of unforgivable incidents. In memory of all the euthanized Beaverdell dogs, I urge animal lovers to support the small animal groups who really do help the animals.

Mandy Rawson