I think that for some at the BC SPCA administration this is about career building and that is contingent on making the SPCA financially successful and that means getting donations - but as this is having the effect of making the SPCA actually prevent cruelty, that's okay.

And I really believe that some at the BC SPCA administration are doing it for love of animals, with the strong support of a board of directors that is at last taking an interest in informing themselves about what their administrators are doing (unlike in the past 50 years in which many of the members of the BC SPCA board took no real interest in how it was being run). This is a 180 degree change from the past when I believe that only one person at the BC SPCA administration cared enough about animals to buck the status quo, and he quit.

When Cindy Soules (admin, Head Office) told me about the meetings that were held recently with all the branches to let them know how the SPCA was going to start working with rescue groups, starting with the purebred dog rescue groups, allowing them to take the purebreds that they specialize in, at cost only, some staff remarked that "those were the easy ones" (to sell). Cindy told me that it is that attitude that is going to change at the SPCA. She told me that she explained that rescue groups can make superior placements because they know their breed, can do home visits, follow-up, etc, and that losing the revenue was not relevant - the best interests of the dogs were.

That is the first time we have heard anyone at any level say something that we would say and vow to do something that we would do, and we have had many conversations with SPCA staff over the years.

I think it is this new attitude that is driving seizures too. Some want it done it for the p.r. value and some want it done for real love of animals and a real desire to prevent suffering. Either way, I am very hopeful.

I have asked Cindy for a list of this and last year's seizures, success of having charges laid, and success of prosecution, so that I can see if there really are more seizures being done. I will let you know.

Judy