The SPCA is going against it's own policy by ordering the killing of Cheech

Amended: January 1996

#30 - RELEASE OF ANIMALS FROM SHELTERS FOR REHABILITATION

The BC SPCA supports the release of dogs and cats from Shelters for obedience training and rehabilitation. Animals, through no fault of their own, that would otherwise be unadoptable because of acquired, unfavourable behavioral traits deserve the opportunity to be retrained and subsequently placed in suitable surroundings where they can live out their natural lives once the rehabilitation program has been successfully completed.

The BC SPCA approves of such a rehabilitation program, with the following qualifications:

A licensed veterinarian has established that disease or medical complications are not the root cause of the behavioral problem.

Note, the vet who Amanda took Cheech to, refused to kill him

An examination of a program finds it acceptable.

The facility can guarantee reasonable standards of care and husbandry for the animals in their care.

The trainer has attained accredited credentials or has demonstrated skills in animal behavior and obedience training.

AAS offered to both Manager Rodgers and CEO Daniell to foster and rehabilitate Cheech. We have 10 years experience with dogs with far worse and ingrained aggression behaviours, our success rate is 100%, and we use trainers that are approved by the Delta SPCA.

The program does not extend beyond four (4) months.

Cheech was barely given 2 months, and it was at the shelter, not in a foster home.

Animals leaving the program are fully vaccinated and have been spayed or neutered.

In spite of Cheech being at the Delta SPCA for several months, and in spite of volunteers raising $6000 during that time to pay vet bills for animals at the Delta SPCA, he was still not neutered. The $6000 did not go to pay off outstanding vet bills, it disappeared into Head Office coffers. When unpaid vets raised this with the volunteers and the volunteers asked Craig Daniell, he told them that he didn't know where the $6000 went. We think that killing Cheech was a bottom-line decision: keeping unsellable dogs costs money: killing them cost $3.38 plus tax in euthanyl.

Animals are not subjected to unusual or unnecessary invasive procedures, over and above routine medical procedures.

Animals not amenable to rehabilitation are humanely euthanized.

The rehabilitated animals are adopted to caring homes.

Provision is made for follow-up evaluation after adoption.

Unadoptable for the purposes of this policy, means unmanageable, or the animals has unacceptable behavioral traits which are not correctable.

Animals displaying aggressive or vicious behavior should be carefully assessed before being placed in the program.

SPCA policy permits dogs with aggressive or vicious behaviour to be placed in foster/rehabilitation - not that Cheech was either of those.

Rehabilitation for the purpose of this policy means restoring the animal's behavior to a level that it can socially interact with people or other animals and is not a risk.

Liability - The Society assumes no liability for an animal's actions while it is in the rehabilitation program.

Then the SPCA should do as Dr Stanley Coren (UBC animal expert and world-renown dog behaviour expert with several books that have been on the New York Times best-sellers list) suggested, and have Amanda sign a waiver releasing the SPCA from any liability.