I have already been through this same battle with the SPCA in the Lower Mainland where this assessment program has failed miserably and has turned out to be basically a way for the SPCA to justify euthanasia of many adoptable, healthy dogs. I have seen this occur many, many times at the Burnaby, Surrey, Coquitlam and Vancouver shelters. As a former volunteer for the SPCA for 3 years I was privy to a lot of inside information and occurrences, and what I saw happening was utterly appalling. Dogs could not be adopted for weeks or longer as the staff would say they had no time to assess them, and although people would inquire about adoptions, the dogs could not be released until they had 'passed' their assessment. Often times by the time this assessment was done, the dogs would be so stressed that they would not pass and would then be put to sleep as they were deemed unadoptable.

Another issue is the fact that the SPCA staff are not qualified to perform these assessments, and there were some cases where volunteers would step in to try to save a dog whom they felt had been mis-assessed. New assessment would most often wield very different results simply from having a different person assess the dog, and had this kind of intervention not occurred, the dogs would have been destroyed based on the word of one ill-qualified SPCA staff member. Additionally, the reverse has happened when the again, ill-qualified SPCA staff have passed a dog who did turn out to be people aggressive after being adopted out. Although, this has only happened once that I know of, it just proves that these assessments do not accomplish anything other than delaying adoptions, creating more work for SPCA staff, and allowing justification for the destruction of more healthy, adoptable dogs. And I am telling the honest truth when I say I have seen this very thing occur, time and time again.

I know Amanda from the Delta shelter, as I volunteered there once in awhile as well, and I applaud her for stealing that dog who was slated to be destroyed. I cannot tell you how many excellent SPCA staff members I have seen be forced to quit, etc because they have intervened to stop the cruel and inhumane actions that take place within the SPCA - it is a sad, shame that often the only staff who can stand to remain working within this organization are those who do not have one ounce of caring or respect for the lives and well-being of the animals placed in their care.