While I realize this might be an unpopular perspective with those don't understand what animal welfare is, it is one I must still voice.
The BC SPCA is expected by the general population to be the authority on Animal Welfare. It is expected to lead the way and show all the Animal Welfare Groups how it is done. Yet the SPCA, by not committing to a spay and neuter program and by doing inter-branch product shuffling, has now shown it would rather accept being a big part of the problem of overpopulation rather than be a part of the solution.

The actuality, as we all know, is there are just too many animals for the available homes. This problem existed in Vancouver, Victoria, Prince George and every community before these transport vans were even thought of.

So what does the authority on Animal Welfare do?
It designs a system to move animals from A to B without tackling the root of the problem at all.

Victoria for example, is a city with two very active Societies which spay and neuter over 1000 animals a year. Both these Societies have been in existence for over 30 years and have actively been tackling the problem of overpopulation.

On the other hand, the Victoria Branch of the BC SPCA only recently began sterilizing every dog and cat that leaves their facility. (The Victoria SPCA used to have both a spay and neuter clinic and a low-cost community spay and neuter program but these were both discontinued.)

Despite all this, Victoria always has way too many cats looking for homes and at times far too many dogs as well. Victoria SPCA Manager Valerie Lykkemark admits this in the Saanich News on July 24,2004. The Saanich News article stated: The shelter is well over capacity this summer with 150 felines crowding its kennels, spilling out into backrooms and hallways; another 50 are in foster care. "Every rabbit, cat, or dog is spayed or neutered before it is sent out (for adoption)," Lykkemark said. Lykkemark does not euthanize animals to create more space, although this year's extraordinarily large kitten population is putting that policy to the test, she said. SPCAs traditionally ask to see a mother cat when a litter is dropped off, and will help off-set the cost of fixing the animal to ensure it doesn't have other litters. As funds are stretched, Lykkemark wants owners to start taking responsibility for the operation themselves. This time of year is always difficult for the society as summer is when most cats are in heat, she said. This year is far worse than usual and the shelters don't know why."

The Victoria SPCA does not understand why there are too many kittens yet it still expects owners to fix the problem themselves?

Any Animal Welfare Organization with any sense would offer to spay the mothers so as to make sure in 63 days (gestation period of cats) and 8 weeks they do not have another batch of kittens to find a home for.

Back to the problem at hand. If Victoria still has too many animals then I cannot comprehend how any other part of the province, particularily the Lower Mainland, can possibly have a shortage. The only Animal Welfare based reason I can see to transport animals into a community would be to overcome a shortage of available dogs and cats. To do it for any reason other than that would be to ensure the death of other animals within the community that the animals are transported to and that would certainly not be Animal Welfare.

So where are the animals from the SPCA facilities that are overwhelmed going to go? The SPCA's other facilities are full of adoptable animals looking for new homes. Every one of these animals has a story and the majority have the potential, with a little effort and money, to be rehomed. Many of these animals require rehabilitation and time spent on them, particularily the most needy and it is the most needy that most people expect the BC SPCA to be helping.

The BC SPCA promotes itself as an ANIMAL WELFARE Organization. A true ANIMAL WELFARE Organization would not kill one adoptable animal to make room for a slightly more adoptable animal. In actuality, a true ANIMAL WELFARE Organization only kills the untreatably ill or injured.

Where does that leave us?

This, in my opinion, leaves us with the BC SPCA joining forces with a pet store to provide both the pet store and itself with (we expect) mainly young adoptable product while doing absolutely nothing to stop the death of less adoptable animals. There is no way I can call this ANIMAL WELFARE.