May 20, 2003

Craig Naherniak,
General Manager of Humane Education,
BC SPCA

Re: Humane education re: neglected dogs and standards of dog guardianship:

Dear Mr Naherniak,

Please tell me what educational material and/or programs regarding neglected dogs and standards of dog guardianship the BC SPCA has produced.

In the summer of 2001 I attended meetings held with the BC SPCA at the City of Vancouver's behest in response to the AAS report on neglected dogs in Vancouver, "IT'S TIME!".

At those meetings the City made it clear that it expected the BC SPCA to deal with the problem of neglected dogs in Vancouver. The SPCA argued against me that changes to the PCA Act were not necessary as the Act was already adequate for the purpose and that education was the best way to deal with this problem.

To date there are no indications that any educational material has been produced. Vancouver City Pound has none, nor does the Vancouver SPCA, yet both these agencies see examples of neglected dogs frequently, if not daily, and are in the best position to "educate" dog neglectors.

It appears that the SPCA is proving again that it does neither prevention of cruelty to dogs using the PCA Act, nor does it use education. It is, as usual, doing nothing. What is more, staff at the Vancouver SPCA continue to make complainants feel that they are the problem for complaining.

The necessary handouts could be written in a few hours. There is no dearth of scientific evidence that isolation of a dog is cruel. The SPCA has the impressive-sounding Five Freedoms that it quotes for the media but so far has not used to actually help these dogs.

I have twice left telephone messages on your line in the last two weeks asking you what the SPCA is doing to produce this material. If you have managed to produce the handout in the last two years, please advise me.

Judy Stone,
President, Animal Advocates Society of BC

cc: Kim Capri, BC SPCA
Craig Daniell, BC SPCA
Jacquie Forbes-Roberts, City of Vancouver
Paul Teichroeb, City of Vancouver