The Victoria SPCA's involvement in spay/neuter and emergency medical care for animals in Victoria has lessened in many ways over the last few years.
Up until 2003 it issued SNAP (low cost spay/neuter) vouchers usable at many vets, and operated its own low-cost spay/neuter and veterinary clinic.
The clinic lost approx $90,000 a year, so in 2002 it was closed and the Victoria SPCA asked if Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders (GVAC) would administer a low-cost spay/neuter program in partnership with the SPCA. GVAC would do all the work and the SPCA would contribute a matching amount only. GVAC was happy to take on the added workload as it was extremely beneficial to the animals. Shortly after this spay/neuter community program, that GVAC did all the work for and paid half the cost of, was also cancelledby the SPCA.
In 2000, the Victoria SPCA contributed to help low-income people's animals which were in medical crises to receive emergency care. This program also no longer exists.
Over thirty years ago both Victoria Cat Rescue Corps (VCRC) and GVAC were formed to assist low-income people with spay/neuter and emergency medical assistance for animals in need. Both VCRC and GVAC also worked tirelessly with stray cats and helped with the spay/neuter release of feral cats.
Today the Victoria SPCA provides no community assistance with emergency medical funding and spay/neuter, and what is more, it has off-loaded this all onto the rescue groups in Victoria.
On July 12, 2004 a Public Forum was held by the Victoria SPCA to discuss the new DTA4 dog assessment test and to tell the independant rescue groups that the Victoria SPCA needs them to provide it with further resources. For example it asked for access to the groups foster homes. Foster homes are a lot of hard work to build up and are very scarce. The SPCA wants those scarce homes turned over to them. It also wants to use the rehabilitation and training expertise that these grpups have worked to put in place.
The SPCA receives the vast majority, probably close to 100%, of animal welfare donations from the public and yet it has slashed animal welfare programs and is attempting to pirate the hard work of all the little groups.
Greater Victoria Animals' Crusaders is not part of the SPCA and receives no funding from it.