Adoptability tests make dog lovers barking mad
Assessment form used called faulty

Jeff Bell
Times Colonist

Tuesday, July 06, 2004

Concerns over a new SPCA assessment tool for animals brought a group of demonstrators, and their dogs, to the agency's Victoria branch Monday.

With signs and leashes in hand, the group of about 10 people gathered in front of the Victoria SPCA to draw attention to what it sees as a faulty form of evaluation for dogs' adoptability. The test has been used at some Lower Mainland locations, but training for Victoria staff has been put off until fall because the branch is in the middle of its busy season, said manager Valerie Lykkemark.

SPCA assessment methods were in the news in Delta last month when two employees were suspended for allegedly stealing a dog that was slated to be destroyed. That culminated with a protest involving close to 50 people.

At Monday's protest, Carol Sonnex said the demonstrators have an issue with the SPCA head office, not the people in the local branch.

"The assessment tool is where they take the dogs that have been in the shelter for two days and they assess them within a kennel environment," said Sonnex, who is part of the Greater Victoria Animals' Crusaders and other animal-welfare organizations.

"The kennel environment doesn't give the dogs a chance."

Besides, she said, "Victoria has the resources and the funds to do a good job. We don't need that assessment tool."

Money is better spent on rehabilitation programs for animals, which arrive at the SPCA with many different needs or problems.

"Perfect dogs do not end up at an SPCA."

For Lykkemark, who has been at the Victoria shelter for about 31/2 months, the presence of the demonstrators was an opportunity to discuss an important issue.

"They let me know ahead of time that they were interested in coming down to the shelter today to do a bit of lobbying in terms of the 'DTA4' assessment tool that's maybe coming to the shelter in the near future.

"I think there's a fear that one test is going to make the answer for me in terms of my decisions, and it never will."

An animal's history, combined with such things as a medical-behavioural evaluation are also vital tools, Lykkemark said.

"It's going to be a tool that will help us assess the dogs. It's one tool that's used in the whole process."

Victoria's SPCA is lucky to have many active groups in the community dedicated to various aspects of animal welfare, she said.

"We're very fortunate here in Victoria that we're able to reach out into the community to be able to help some of our dogs. We have several dogs right now in foster care."

Only one dog has had to be destroyed at the Victoria SPCA since January, Lykkemark said, as well as six puppies suffering from distemper.

She said her staff will receive the new assessment training to add to a much larger set of skills. "More education, more training, more tools -- I invite that."

Lykkemark noted that the public can do its part for the SPCA by helping it deal with a surfeit of cats.

The shelter has about 150 cats, she said. "We really need help with people to come down and adopt the cats, as well as our dogs, rabbits and small animals

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