The Maple Ridge Animal Services Committee has volunteered countless hours in the past 20 months to develop a comprehensive business plan for animal services in our community.

Many committee members have compiled data, researched information, documented facts and figures, reviewed hundreds of pages of material and expended considerable effort to ensure that best practices be adhered to for those who have no voice.

Personally, I feel that before a press release was provided to the media regarding the shelter in Maple Ridge, this dedicated committee should have been made aware of and attended a meeting to discuss the outcome of the March 22nd, 2003 meeting.

This appears to be a “slap in the face” to a group who has devoted themselves to open communication and dialogue with members of the SPCA, city council and the residents of our community. This kind of high-handed and secretive behaviour by the SPCA executive is what got it into such hot water when it arbitrarily closed the Chilliwack SPCA.

I do believe that the municipality has an obligation to operate a pound facility in our area, and I do believe that the SPCA should focus its time and energy on public education, cruelty prevention and investigation, apprehension and seizure of abused and neglected animals, closures of puppy and kitten mills, etc. etc.

No direct contact was provided to the committee members before this very public announcement was printed on the front page of the Maple Ridge Times and I must now question how effective my role as a volunteer has been.