Shane Bigham2011/04/09
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Twenty-two animal rescue and welfare groups are demanding changes at the BC SPCA. They showed up at the charity's Vancouver offices this week, as Premier Christy Clark released the report on the Whistler sled dog mass slaughter.
The groups sent their demands directly to the government, bypassing the sled dog task force altogether.
Donna Liberson with the coalition was there and says a new animal protection agency, with government oversight, is needed immediately. "There is nothing wrong with the laws. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act is adequate, what is wrong is the enforcement."
Liberson compares the SPCA to how some investigations have been handled by RCMP surrounding high-profile cases. "We feel there is a conflict of interest, you cannot have the BC SPCA on a task force investigating themselves and come up with anything that's going to solve the solution of animal cruelty prevention."
Meantime, she is also calling for the establishment of an appeal board, so people whose animals have been seized by the SPCA can have a hearing if they want to get their pets or livestock back.
http://www.news1130.com/news/local/article/210089--spca-slammed-by-animal-welfare-groups