I have been asked, if we ( rescue groups and animal welfare societies) don't help the SPCA what will happen to the animals?

Presently in Victoria, the Victoria SPCA takes only owner-surrendered animals. There are times it is full and has a wait-list. This causes havoc because then Greater Victoria Animals' Crusaders and Cat Rescue Corps get a ton of calls asking what to do with the dog or cat the owners can't keep. The SPCA refers people to us.

The Victoria SPCA does not help with owned animals' medical emergencies anymore. Those calls are transferred to Greater Victoria Animals' Crusaders, Cat Rescue Corps and the Nana Foundation.

If an animal comes in that might be too expensive to fix rescue societies are also called or donors are asked to donate to the Good Neighbour Fund.

There is no SPCA-funded community spay and neuter fund anymore. Victoria Cat Rescue and Greater Victoria Animals' Crusaders have had to take on all of this ourselves. There are days when I personally answer over 60 calls.

Transport to Wild Arc is not available on a regular basis anymore either and unfortunately no one is filling that gap.

But back to dogs and cats.
As mentioned before, the Victoria SPCA only takes owner-surrendered animals. If a stray is found it must either go to Victoria Animal Control Services (VACS) or the Capital Regional District (CRD) Pounds.

Greater Victoria Animals' Crusaders have an excellent working relationship with the CRD and do our best to help the CRD provide needed services to the strays that come in.
Recently a rottweiler was provided with much needed eye surgery. With funding from a private donor and GVAC, and a reduced rate from a special vet, he is now neutered, dewclaws removed and ready for adoption. A couple of years ago he would have been euthanised.
Several little dogs with dental care problems have been made healthy and adopted out of the CRD this year as well. Some of these dogs were well past the prime of their life but they are now in loving homes.

Older dogs who were in UNADOPTABLE shape have been removed from the CRD, placed in palliative care and provided with veterinary care and love. An old dog named "Lady" is a great example: Lady was thought to be very old, she was so smelly you didn't dare touch her, but she was so sweet-tempered. Instead of simply euthanising this unadoptable old dog she went to the vet for an examination. Lady was found to be simply in a disgusting state of neglect. She was treated and pulled out of the CRD by Chelco Farms Rehabilitation Society. Her medical treatment was continued by both GVAC and Chelco, she was loved and rehabbed by Chelco, and she is now a 7 yr old border collie X living the most marvelous of lives in a wonderful new home.

Pregnant mother cats are being fostered out of the CRD by GVAC all over Victoria and are being spayed, rehomed and cared for. The CRD does not ask GVAC to return the kittens to sell. GVAC and Dee's Orphan Kitten Fund adopt them out to new homes with a lot of marvelous help from our foster homes.

Orphaned stray kittens relinquished to the CRD have been taken in year round by Dee's Orphan Kitten Fund and GVAC. Dee's do the majority of this work tirelessly, and without the support they deserve.

The BC SPCA advertises that it helps with the animals of women coming out of violent situations forced into transition homes.
This is actually mainly done by a vet hospital in Victoria, and if needed GVAC provides the funding for vaccinations and medical expenses. If further fostering is needed, again, it is provided by GVAC or Victoria Cat Rescue.

Independent rescue groups also foster animals for people in Eric Marten Hospital....often for very extended periods of time.

I have tried to illustrate how working together saves lives. GVAC, Cat Rescue Corps,VOCAL, Chelco Farms, Dee's Orphan Kitten, and numerous other rescues do all we can to help the animals. We have worked tirelessly together for years and we are all stretched to our limits.

All that I have been describing requires a great deal of financial and volunteer resources. The BC SPCA is now asking rescue groups to provide it with resources.Personally, I feel like our societies are already providing the SPCA with resources.

The BC SPCA gets the majority of the dollars donated to animal welfare in Victoria each year. The Victoria SPCA have more volunteers than all of us in rescue combined.

It has been suggested for years that the Victoria SPCA develop a pre-surrender counselling program, a pre-adoption program, and a post-adoption program. The wheels were all started in that direction when BC SPCA Head Office cut the funding. The Victoria branch of the SPCA has very few active programs.

The BC SPCA advertises that it is the Animal Welfare Agency in the Province.

I say it is about time it started acting like one.