SPCA refutes allegations
Amy Steele, The Times
Published: Friday, March 19, 2010

The SPCA is refuting the allegations that a Katie's Place volunteer, Brigitta MacMillan, has made against the Maple Ridge animal shelter.

Katie's Place is a shelter for cats.

MacMillan appeared before Maple Ridge council Monday with a litany of concerns, including unnecessary euthanization of animals, lack of accountability and transparency by the SPCA, the organization being hostile to Katie's Place volunteers and she questioned the shelter's actions in preventing upper respiratory infection in cats. MacMillan also questioned whether donations to the SPCA are going where their donors intended. MacMillan said she wasn't speaking on behalf of Katie's Place but as an individual.

MacMillan alleged that the SPCA has told only Katie's Place volunteers they have to have a shower, wash their hair and change their clothes in order to prevent upper respiratory infections from spreading.

However, Chortyk said all volunteers are told they have to do it. "That is absolute accepted standard biosecurity measures," she said.

Chortyk said the SPCA only euthanizes animals in extreme cases such as if the shelter can't medically save an animal and a veterinarian recommends it to end the animal's suffering or if the animal is extremely aggressive and can't be adopted into the community. She said the SPCA doesn't have a time frame for how long an animal can stay in the shelter before it's adopted and the SPCA also allocates whatever resources are necessary to treat a sick or injured animal.

Chortyk said the SPCA takes in 37,000 animals a year and some can't be saved.

"Many of those animals come to us very sick, very injured and no matter how much we would love to save every animal that's not a reality for any animal shelter," she said.

She said the B.C. SPCA is "well below" the euthanization rates of most Canadian and North American shelters.

"We work very hard in terms of raising money for medical care and increasing adoptions," said Chortyk.

MacMillan said that between March and December of last year the SPCA stopped taking cats to Katie's Place and suggested that was due to animosity towards Katie's Place.

However, Chortyk said that isn't true. She said what's happened is the shelter has expanded its foster system and its satellite adoption through a pet store chain and the SPCA has also expanded the list of approved rescue groups it works with.

She said Katie's Place wasn't receiving cats because there wasn't a need.

"It's certainly no issue with Katie's Place," she said.

MacMillan also raised concerns about lack of accountability and transparency and volunteers being afraid to speak up. Chortyk said every volunteer "is encouraged to raise any idea, any concern."

"I think this is more Brigitta's opinion. We certainly have seen no evidence of it because our volunteers are very happy," said Chortyk.

She said the shelter manager has regular meetings with volunteers and there is a process in place for complaints.

Chortyk said the SPCA is concerned about MacMillan's comments to council at a time when the organization is trying to fundraise for its new shelter in Maple Ridge. Construction will likely begin next month.

She said the SPCA met with MacMillan in October to try and address her concerns.

"Donors remember these things. If there's even a question in their mind... that impacts animals and that's why we get frustrated with it," said Chortyk.

MacMillan is asking for the District of Maple Ridge to re-establish an animal services committee to deal with concerns from volunteers and citizens.

Chortyk said the SPCA would be open to it. However, she said the district "has made it clear they're more than satisfied with the information we provide."

MacMillan also questioned what happened with $625,000 donated in 1990 that she said was supposed to go to a new animal shelter.

Chortyk said the money wasn't earmarked for a new shelter.

"That was a legacy that came in. It was designated for Maple Ridge but it wasn't designated in any way for a capital campaign," said Chortyk, adding the donation was used to offset the cost of operating the shelter because it was running a deficit for years.

Meanwhile, Chortyk said the new shelter the SPCA and the district are about to build "probably will be the most progressive shelter in Canada."