Kamloops SPCA killed two puppy mill dogs early this month (a cocker spaniel and a poodle) and said it might kill more. This in spite of the dogs only being very shy and the cocker with progressive blindness. The dogs were young, small, unaggressive, and wanted, by over a hundred applicants. This in spite of offers from the rescue community, even from Cocker Spaniel Rescue, to take any dogs that the SPCA did not want to rehabilitate.

The Kamloops SPCA has used the dogs to unashamedly grandstand and fundraise, even leaving a picture on its web site of one of the dead dogs to do this.

The "official" justification was supplied by the BC SPCA's Companion Animal Management Program (CAMP). On paper, CAMP says it includes remediation for dogs, but in practice it is so far only a scientific (publicly watertight) justification for disposing of all the animals the SPCA has always disposed of because its two intake policies - pound contracting and unlimited surrender - which mean chronically crowded facilities. Unlimited surrender means that SPCAs are full of many of society's unwanted (by anyone) dogs and cats which must be disposed of. The "remediation" the Kamloops SPCA supplied for the 34 unsocialized dogs from this puppy mill consisted of keeping them in barren cells and exposing them to a parade of strangers for six weeks.

Crowded shelters attract sympathy money and the SPCA can always make its "shelters" roomier by the simple expedient of killing the least likely to sell.

The Kamloops SPCA killed the two dogs in spite of many offers to foster all thirty-four puppy mill dogs surrendered to it in homes where they would learn to trust and love and have fun. "Brenda" was killed in spite of requests by volunteer Lynda Miller, one in writing with a letter from her veterinarian, to adopt her, and who spent many hours with Brenda at the SPCA. (See picture of Lynda with Brenda at the Kamloops SPCA: http://www.animaladvocates.com/SPCA-kamloops-puppymill.htm)

BC SPCA Regional Manager, Bob Busch sent a letter (below) today to many of the people who posted their anger and concern on the AAS messageboard that perfectly illustrates what is wrong with the BC SPCA. It is not accurate. Mr Busch denies the testimony of Lynda Miller, but the picture of Lynda with Brenda, from the Kamloops SPCA's own web site, tells the truth.

Mr Busch also implies that death for Brenda was preferable to life with Lynda Miller.

Nor did Mr Busch send his letter to Lynda or to AAS, two of the most informed of the Kamloops SPCA critics.

Please write your concerns about Mr Busch's letter and the use of CAMP to euthanize dogs at the Kamloops SPCA to Thompson Region BC SPCA director Pat Cutler at pcutler@cariboo.bc.ca and to the Kim Capri, Chief Operating Officer of the BC SPCA at kcapri@spca.bc.ca and to the President of the BC SPCA, Rick Sargent at roxiegirl@shaw.ca and to Craig Daniell, BC SPCA CEO and Manager of Cruelty Investigations at cdaniell@spca.bc.ca.

Link to more posts on the Kamloops killings and the letter from Lynda Miller of Kamloops that started it all: http://www.animaladvocates.com/cgi-bin/admin_config.pl/read/2509

Link to more posts on the BC SPCA's killer CAMP http://www.animaladvocates.com/cgi-bin/admin_config.pl/read/2414