Lorie Chorytk stated - “We have been around for 108 years. We believe that we have served the community well.”

Even if that were true for most of that time, it certainly hasn’t been the case for the last few years. The 100 phone-calls, e-mails and letters to Councillor Robert Campbell demonstrate that!
It would be interesting to hear and / or see Lorie Chortyk defend these positions on live radio and / or television that she is quoted as saying in the Province newspaper. However, it seems that Lorie is reluctant to give radio or TV interviews!

In my opinion it is time for the Provincial Government to step forward and straighten out the mess at the BC SPCA. Ever since the consolidation of the individual branches into the single centralized organization the BCSPCA seems to have done nothing but go downhill. There is no accountability, no democracy and worst of all there has been a major decrease in the animal welfare which the Society was providing. Anyone questioning how things are being done, such as the lack of financial information, or programs that are not in the interests of the animals like DTA4 and CAMP, get their memberships cancelled.

The local input and control is now non-existent. Where previously there were local Boards of Directors who had the major say in the operations there is now only the CAC, Community Advisory Committee. The CACs have zero say in the finances or the operations. The single role that the Society apparently wants them to do is fund raising, even though they have no say in how that money will be spent. In fact most, if not all, of the money raised locally goes to Head Office and they determine where and how it gets spent.

The current organization has no mechanism by which legitimate concerns by members, donors or members of the public about the Society can be raised and be assured that they will get an open and fair response.

Now is the time to write the Ministry of Agriculture, the ministry responsible, and pressure them into taking control of the BCSPCA via the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which they are responsible for! Perhaps if they receive hundreds of letters and e-mails they will also take notice and act.