See the assessment in streaming video at www.animaladvocates.com
Cheech's media page with large file photos and all the material at http://www.animaladvocates.com/CHEECH/CheechMediaPage.htm
Read a Letter from Cheech at http://www.animaladvocates.com/CHEECH/CheechMediaPage.htm
Read the list of lies about Cheech, below
Read a scientist's assessment of the SPCA's "science" below
Judy Stone, president of Animal Advocates Society of BC, was frantically phoned by Amanda Muir and Delta SPCA volunteers the day that Cheech was to be killed. We offered to foster and rehabilitate Cheech at our expense to the Manager, Michelle Rodgers, and the CEO, Craig Daniell, and were ignored and the order to kill was stepped up. (Read our offer or scroll down.) When we were phoned with this news by an employee of the Delta SPCA, we offered to help in any way we could. A week later we were asked by someone who we will not name, to arrange an assessment, which we did. We asked Ali Yazman, who we knew only by reputation, and who had not heard anything of Cheech as he had been in Turkey until two days before we phoned him. We told ali that Cheech's name was Reba. Cheech was brought to Stone's house in West Vancouver and then Ali came to do the first part of the assessment. Then we went to Harbourview Park in North Vancouver to do the public part of the assessment. Then we told Ali all about Cheech. Ali may be phoned at 604-377-8856.
In response to the question I've been asked several times already, If we knew, we would go to jail before saying".
This story is not just about Cheech, a sweet pup with a cheerful, trusting nature who has proven over and over to have such a strong natural bite inhibition that he is almost incapable of biting.
This story is also about SPCA policies that protect its animal-disposing business. One of those policies is CAMP, its dog assessment test. The Cheech incident makes clear by the wrongness of the test results, combined with the SPCA's lies about the results to insist on killing Cheech, that the SPCA's assessment tests are a justification for killing dogs who may take some time and money to rehabilitate. Further proof is that the SPCA claims to have rehabilitation programs in place, but in fact there are almost none and what little there are, are mostly supplied by volunteers, many of whom have quit in disgust when recoverable dogs they are working with are killed. Final proof that CAMP is about dog-disposal is that the SPCA has killed many dogs rather than give them to independent rescue groups, so CAMP is NOT about animal welfare. This is all documented on the AAS web site. In fact, AAS made an offer to Delta SPCA manager Michelle Rodgers and to CEO Craig Daniell to foster and rehabilitate Cheech at our expense just hours before Cheech was rescued, and were ignored.
The Cheech incident also makes clear the falsity of the "science" the SPCA claims. No test that can be so wrong so often is scientific. The test is used randomly and subjectively. The "science" claim is false.
The test is designed for maximum failure. The test is used to clear out slow sellers to make room for fast sellers. "Green Zone" dogs are sellable without expense. "Orange Zone" dogs have some minor behaviours that may take some rehabilitation - timidity, fear, etc, but they are not "dangerous" or "vicious". "Red Zone" dogs have displayed some dangerous behaviours and can be immediately killed. In fact, the test says that dogs who are recoverable with some time and expense can be killed to make room for quickly sellable dogs:
From the SPCA's own CAMP manual which makes clear that all less-than-perfect (Orange Zone) dogs MUST be killed to make room for quickly sellable (Green Zone) dogs....
p.40 "Orange zone animals with treatable conditions can only be kept in the shelter when the resources are not needed by green zone animals living in overcrowded shelters"
p.41 "The receiving shelter cannot refuse green zone animals living in overcrowded shelters unless the Branch Manager states that they are already full of green zone adoptable animals. Orange zone animals (on hold) that cannot be adopted by average pet guardians must be euthanized to enable equal access to resources for all adoptable animals."
p.45 "During Phase One many orange zone dogs may be euthanized because of 'not reasonably available resources' or because green zone dogs need these resources..."
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Joann U. Bessler, M.Sc., AAS Research Director, has analysed CAMP's pseudo-science from the beginning. She states:
'The SPCA's Companion Animal Management Program(CAMP) contains an assessment process for dogs which is apparently designed to allow the
Three to five days after a dog arrives in the shelter it is assessed. The three possible test outcomes are: not adoptable, or "Red Zone"; questionable, or "Orange Zone"; and adoptable, or "Green Zone". According to the CAMP Procedural Manual for Phase One, " ... you should always use the test with the most unacceptable responses; we need the worst-case scenario, not the best...." (p. 69).
Clearly the assessment test, which includes asking a stressed dog to relinquish food, allows each SPCA branch the maximum latitude to stock their viewing kennels with the dogs that sell best.
CAMP is being passed off as a science-based procedure. If the policy is proven science, the SPCA should identify the peer-reviewed sources of
Have adoption rates improved? Are returns down? What are the kill statistics before and after implementation of CAMP? The SPCA has been asked to provide this data to me, but never has.
The SPCA is using CAMP to justify shipping dogs from the far reaches of the province to wherever they're deemed to be more marketable. The specious claim of "zero tolerance for the euthanasia of adoptable animals" is tailor-made to appeal to the donating public.
The immediate result of the media-friendly CAMP may be an increase in profit from animal sales, and an increase in donations which have been dropping off due to poor marketing. It's difficult to conclude that the animals are any better off.'
Joann U. Bessler, M.Sc.
SPCA maximum latitude in managing its inventory of retail product.
the program. If the BC SPCA is blazing new ground in developing these procedures, then it is imperative that experimental data be published.
Delta, BC
AAS Research Director
The devil is in the details...the "test" decides which dogs are "adoptable" and any dogs that are "not adoptable' can be killed while the SPCA still gets to tell the media that it "kills no adoptable animals"! Very slick, and the media have been fooled....but Cheech may have changed all that.
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The SPCA's test is not at all like the test used by the RSPCA in the U.K. as it has claimed. A comparison:
- All the assessment information is completed by the kennel staff who are looking after the dog.
[re]BC SPCA brings in strange, head office assessors
There is an initial health check, eyes, ears, nose etc, weight, vaccinations etc, and whether any treatment is required
Medical conditions are frequently left unattended. Cheech for example, has a painfully smashed toe.
- Then, every day for 10 days info is recorded
The BC SPCA assessment is done within days or hours after the dog is surrendered while it is still in a highly stressed and anxious state and only one assessment is necessary to kill the dog.
- Dog�s reaction to feeding. To be completed by the member of staff who feeds the dog. Good eater, poor eater, food proud, normal, feed alone
A dog at the BC SPCA can immediately be failed if it shows any food possessiveness
- Vet comments / treatment and neutering details, including schedule to have done, as necessary.
Dogs are frequently not neutered or spayed. Intact male dogs are especially stressed in a kennel environment. Cheech was not neutered in the two months the SPCA had him.
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The B.C.SPCA tells the public how much better it would be if its critics got involved with the SPCA rather than "defame them" and criticize them. It says detractors' comments and actions "hurt the animals" and yet it is silent while its own PR spinmistress and its "scientist" Nadine Gourkow, lie to the media about the assessments on Cheech. Who IS hurting the animals with their substandard facilities and lack of proper veterinary care and rehabilitation? Who is signing death warrants on animals like Cheech? It certainly isn't the SPCA's critics. The BC SPCA is acting out of control, or worse - in the control of animal-disposers.
Cheech is not an aberration - he is the public face of the hidden SPCA agenda. Cheech is only one of hundreds, perhaps of thousands, of dogs that the SPCA kills every year. It uses "science" to justify their deaths to the media and the public - science that falsely blames the dog for its own death.
In the case of Cheech, the SPCA said that he is a dangerous killer; that he has lunged at children's throats(SPCA employees and volunteers say Cheech was never near a child while at the SPCA); and that he tested as more dangerous than the dogs that savaged Shenica White (A Delta SPCA employee was told by a Vancouver City Pound senior staff member that those dogs were never assessed at all by the Vancouver City Pound (604-251-1325) and were never seen by the SPCA which had nothing to do with them.) It said that putting Cheech into the public is like putting a child-molester into a kindergarten. (See the List of Lies, below.)
Cheech conclusively proves that the SPCA tests are not about animal-welfare. Real animal-welfarists have no need of tests: they have no intention of killing: they intend to rehabilitate, no matter what the cost. It is animal-disposers who need tests to explain why they kill so many dogs.
There is a great deal more wrong with the SPCA than its determination to kill nice dogs.
The PCA Act requires the BC SPCA to file audited financial statements annually with Victoria. According to one past treasurer it never has. BC SPCA Annual General Meeting, April 27, 2002 Transcript of meeting tape. Provincial Treasurer Randy Reynolds: �You know the government requires us to present audited financial statements to them each year. We have never been able to do that but we are headed in that direction�(and intend to) produce an audited statement for the year 2002.�
Under pressure from its critics, the SPCA began to promise audited statements, but to date it still has not. Letters to government are met with silence or stonewalling answers such as, "The SPCA is a hundred-year old organization in which we have every confidence." CEO Craig Daniell's excuse is that the branches' books have not been kept properly. Even if that is true almost three years after the branches were brought under the financial control of head office, that does not explain why head office books cannot be audited.
Missing money should be a concern to the press too. In Delta this spring, volunteers raised $6,000 to pay the Delta SPCA's unpaid vet bills. The vets still went unpaid. When Daniell was asked where the money went, he said to head office and he can't account for it. Daniell has said repeatedly that deficits and cutbacks will not affect the animals. Every one of Daniell's statements to the media must be questioned closely.
Of equal concern are the illegal seizures that are being made in which huge sums of money are extracted from those who can pay, and in some cases these people get back the animals that the SPCA claimed were so badly neglected when it illegally seized them. AAS is building an "Illegal Seizures" section on its web site. http://www.animaladvocates.com/Watchdog/IllegalSeizures.htm . Again the government: the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (responsible for the PCA Act which governs the SPCA), the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General, have ignored requests from AAS to investigate the SPCA's illegal activities.
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THE LIST OF LIES
The Province June 18/04
"Cheech was brought into the shelter in late April (correction: Chortyk doesn't even know what date Cheech was surrendered on. He was surrendered Feb 20/04). He had been abused. Four SPCA assessors deemed Cheech too vicious and unpredictable, especially toward men, and recommended he be put down, said spokeswoman Lorie Chortyk."
AAS: Staff only know of two assessments, the first he passed, the 2nd was ordered by Delta SPCA manager Michelle Rodgers after she grabbed Cheech roughly by the collar and he growled slightly while backing away not lunging forward. We suspect the other one or two are simply someone signing off on the 2nd assessment as Cheech was rescued shortly after the 2nd one was done.
The SPCA's primary concern in this case is that Cheech poses a threat to the public, Chortyk said, adding that the society has a moral and legal duty to protect the public from harmful animals.
AAS: in that case why was Cheech for adoption up to the day he was rescued from the SPCA even though the SPCA now claims that they knew that he was highly dangerous especially to children?
"We did everything in our power to help that dog, because euthanasia is always the last resort," Chortyk said. "[Muir] made the situation happen, we didn't. We didn't ask her to steal a dog from the shelter."
South Delta Leader June 18/04
"All our attempts to help it recover have been unsuccessful," Chortyk said. "Unfortunately, all the assessments have shown it was becoming increasingly aggressive around men and children." The decision to euthanize Cheech wasn't made lightly, Chortyk added, and four people signed off on the decision.
CTV News at 6pm June 19/04
Nadine Gourkow BC SPCA Animal Welfare Supervisor: He's very ambivalent. He's very unpredictable. And there's a high potential that he will bite without exactly the person holding the leash knowing what has set him off.
Bob Busch SPCA Regional Manager: We must not let an animal that has a chance to be dangerous out in public. We would be irresponsible as the SPCA if we did that, and I think the public expects more of us.
The Sun June 19/04
"After showing on the first test that he had anger management issues, Cheech got "progressively worse in the shelter," said Nadine Gourkow, animal welfare manager of the SPCA office in Vancouver. During the second test, Cheech "showed he had a very high level of fearfulness" by growling, showing teeth, jumping up and down, and cornering himself in the back of the cage, she says. Then, when the dog tester wasn't looking, Cheech lunged at him."
Global News 6pm June 19/04
Nadine Gourkow Animal Welfare Manager: He has attempted to bite and people have protected themselves by, the two people that he has attacked have put something in between themselves and the dog and he bit the object instead.
Global Noon News June 19/04
Nadine Gourkow: The feeling was with Cheech that the rehabilitation he might need had very, very low chances of success, but even the success that might have happened wouldn't have been so he is actually healed. But that perhaps it could be managed, but that would be to a point where he would have to have a lot of restrictions such as being muzzled, being leashed, being things that really would have reduced his welfare.
AAS: Gourkow is one of the SPCA's two "scientists" who created the "scientific test" that was used on Cheech. Cheech is the proof of what AAS said about the SPCA's so-called "science". Ms Gourkow needs to go back to high school and learn real scince.
The Sun June 19/04
"All of the people who assessed the dog since April ... say he's too dangerous to be in the community," says SPCA spokeswoman Lorie Chortyk.
(AAS: Cheech passed the first assessment May 13th. He 'failed' the 2nd assessment which was a set-up.)
The Sun June 21/04
SPCA spokeswoman Lorie Chortyk said the agency empathizes with Cheech's supporters, but will not back down on its view that the dog should be destroyed.
"It's difficult because it's very emotional," Chortyk said. "But this dog has displayed incredibly unpredictable behaviour.
AAS: Playing the "science against irrational, emotional women" card. Won't wash anymore SPCA. Our science is better than your science!
McConnell and others have offered to adopt Cheech and keep him isolated while he is trained and rehabilitated, but Chortyk said there is no possibility the SPCA will agree to such an arrangement.
"It's kind of like saying 'We have a sexual predator, but if you sign over, you can take him into your kindergarten class.'"
There doesn't appear to be any limits on what Chortyk will say.
Surrey Leader June 22/04
SPCA spokesperson Lorie Chortyk said the former guard dog could not be rehabilitated. "All our attempts to help it recover have been unsuccessful," Chortyk said. "Unfortunately, all the assessments have shown it was becoming increasingly aggressive around men and children."
Chortyk said it's not a matter of money or expertise, but rather the safety of people who might come in contact with Cheech, adding Stone's organization has not assessed the dog and doesn't understand it's disposition. (We have now and we found Cheech to be better, safer, more gentle than even Amanda told us.)Delta Police were called Wednesday to recover the dog but were unsuccessful. Chortyk said the SPCA continues to work with police to get Cheech back. Chortyk said the dog would not be reassessed or given more time for rehabilitation.
June 18/04 Email from Chortyk to AAS supporter Lana Simon: Date: Friday, June 18, 2004 1:32 pm
Subject: Cheech
Dear Lana,
The dilemma with Cheech's situation is that while he is fine with some women, he has shown escalating aggression, particularly towards young and adult males.There have been numerous situations since he has been with us where he has shown a dangerous level of aggression towards people at the shelter. His behaviour is unpredictable -- he is very friendly in some situations but then turns on other people with no provocation (you may recall the case of Shenica White -- the teenager who was mauled by two dogs in Vancouver last year. The very next day the same dogs involved in the vicious attack were very friendly, wagging their tails and giving kisses. This is the kind of unpredictable behaviour that Cheech has exhibited). We have had several people involved in Cheech's rehabilitation efforts and case management. The unanimous agreement and recommendation by the assessors is that, based on Cheech's temperament and behaviour, he cannot be safely placed in the community.
AAS: Not unanimous at all. Cheech passed his first test at the sPCA with flying colours. See first SPCA test in sub-post.
No one at the SPCA ever takes a euthanasia decision lightly, which is why we brought in so many people to be part of the rehabilitation attempts.
AAS: no one was brought in to rehabilitate Cheech. What very little rehabilitation he needed was done easily by Amanda Muir and Delta SPCA volunteers.
June 17/04 Cindy Elmquist of Prince George phoned the SPCA and was put through to Chortyk. Some of the highlights of Cindy's conversation with Lorie:
- She said Cheech has lunged at children's throats several times during his time at the SPCA. [I asked if there were any lawsuits against the SPCA re this. She said no.
AAS: Where is the notation in Cheech's file that he had lunged at a child's throat? Can the SPCA produce the parents of this child? - She said Cheech has viciously attacked several people during his time at the SPCA. AAS: This is not true, but if it were, there were no notations of attacks on Cheech's file and staff and volunteers were never warned so it is the SPCA that is irresponsible and putting the public at risk.
- I asked why Cheech wasn't put to sleep if he had lunged at children and viciously attacked people while at the SPCA. She said they were trying to give him every chance possible.
AAS: this is not true, Cheech was never in contact with any children while at the SPCA, but if it were true and he had lunged at a child, then it is the SPCA that is irresponsible for leaving him for adoption on the web site and for not warning the staff and volunteers.
- I asked why it had said in his bio that he was great with other dogs and people and getting better all the time. She said that volunteers write the bio. I asked why SPCA staff/management do not check these before they are posted. No answer.
- I asked how the decision was made. She said they brought in many experts during Cheech's time at the SPCA. One of the people was an animal welfare behaviourist at UBC, of course there were also a few SPCA people. I asked if the Cheech's vet was involved. She said no.
AAS: Amanda Muir and volunteers say no one was ever brought in to assess Cheech except Barry McKnight, one of the SPCA's CAMP enforcers from head office, after Manager Michelle Rodgers was growled at by Cheech.
- I asked if she had ever witnessed Cheech attacking someone. She said yes.
AAS: Chortyk cannot ever have seen Cheech. She works at head office and has nothing to do with the branches or any animals.
Delta Optimist on June 23/04
Animal Advocates Society president Judy Stone, who attended the Saturday rally, said the SPCA assessment is "junk science." She accused the society of using it as a way of keeping shelter costs down.
But the SPCA defended its assessment program. Spokesperson Lorie Chortyk said it's among the best in the world.
AAS: the SPCA has refused requests from AAS to provide the data that proves this, but no data has been provided.
She said the decision to destroy the dog was made after four people conducted two assessments, which Cheech failed with "off-the-charts" aggression. According to the SPCA, Cheech scored a 10 out of 10 in aggressive behaviour. Chortyk noted two Mastiff-Rottweiler dogs that viscously mauled 14-year-old Shenica White in Vancouver two years ago scored between a four and five on the same scale.
AAS: Amanda Muir checked on this statement. She asked VCP spokesman and long-time employee, Bob Cristofoli, if the dogs that attacked Shenica White were assessed. He replied that they were not, that they were surrendered for destruction, therefore there was no purpose served by assessing them. The SPCA was not in anyway involved with these dogs.
Chortyk said she empathizes with Cheech's supporters, but said the SPCA would be derelict in its duty to let a dog with "the highest likelihood of mauling someone" go free.
Craig Naherniak, the SPCA's general manager of humane education, said the series of tests, called Dog Temperament Assessment 4, are highly advanced and the result of years of work.
"In the 18 years that our assessor has worked with dogs, this is the most fearful dog that he has had to deal with," said Naherniak, declining to name the assessor.
AAS offer to foster Cheech:
To the Board of Directors, BC SPCA
To BC SPCA President, Mary Lou Troman, and ex-President Rick Sargent:
To Craig Daniell, CEO and Michelle Rodgers, Manager, Delta SPCA
June 16, 2004
To Craig Daniell CEO, BC SPCA,
To whom it may concern:
At approximately 12:30 pm today I phoned the Delta SPCA after hearing the details of the imminent destruction of Cheech from a long time Delta SPCA volunteer. I left a message for the manager, Michelle Rodgers, to phone me.
At 1:01 Michelle Rodgers phoned me. I offered AAS's help with Cheech's rehabilitation. I offered to foster Cheech for the Delta SPCA. I talked to Michelle at length about my ten years experience with large dogs that had been abused and how I had found that all of them were wary of men, often showing their fear by aggressive behaviour but that I believed because of his young age, his submissive and affectionate behaviour with many volunteers and with men once he got to know them, and that he had not once bitten anyone, that he would be easily rehabilitated, if just given the time. I several times repeated my offer to foster.
At 1:24 I was phoned by SPCA employee Amanda Muir who told me that Cheech was still going to be killed, at any moment. I asked Amanda to quickly reiterate our offer to Rodgers and that I was going to phone Craig Daniell immediately.
At 1:26 I phoned Craig Daniell on his cell phone and explained the offer I had made to Rodgers. I asked him to phone Rodgers immediately and have Cheech's destruction postponed until my offer could be considered and a fresh look at the assessment could be made with the input of many volunteers and staff. I stated clearly to Daniell that I was speaking for the record that AAS would foster Cheech. I may have made this statement 3 or 4 times in this conversation.
At 1:40 Craig Daniell phoned me back to say that Bob Busch, General Manager, Operations, was on his way to the Delta SPCA, but he would not say whether Cheech's life would be spared.
At 2:14 I was phoned by a volunteer who said that because the order to destroy Cheech had not been postponed or rescinded, that Cheech was being removed by some sympathetic SPCA staff.
NOTICE: I HEREBY RESTATE MY OFFER TO FOSTER CHEECH AND TO PAY FOR HIS REHABILITATION.
Judith Stone, President,
----- Original Message -----
From: Animal Advocates
To: p_mackillop@telus.net ; rennebergv@cnc.bc.ca ; vanessa.lycos@shaw.ca ; zred@telus.net ; carla_maruyama@hermanmiller.com ; tinakcr@hotmail.com ; enlepage@shaw.ca ; g-peterson@shaw.ca ; tigerbowen@yahoo.com ; kared@telus.net ; thebad3@shaw.ca ; kimby_59@yahoo.ca ; phyllisgregg@telus.net
Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2004 5:59 AM
Subject: Fw: Official notice of AAS's offers to foster Cheech made today to Craig Daniell and the Delta SPCA manager
----- Original Message -----
From: Animal Advocates
To: mltroman@ntouchcorp.com ; roxiegirl@shaw.ca
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 9:57 PM
Subject: Official notice of AAS's offers to foster Cheech made today to Craig Daniell and the Delta SPCA manager
----- Original Message -----
From: Animal Advocates
To: BC SPCA - Craig Daniell ; deltaspca@hotmail.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 7:17 PM
Subject: Official notice of AAS's offers to foster Cheech made to Craig Daniell and the Delta SPCA manager
By email and fax
Michelle Rodgers, Manager, Delta SPCA
Animal Advocates Society of BC
www.animaladvocates.com