The SPCA is still in business mode, not animal welfare mode. These dogs are highly marketable product. Importing marketable product is an unregulated business being practiced by thousands of underground marketers who pay no PST, GST, nor declare the income. The Nanaimo SPCA is keeping company with these dog-sellers.

The Nanaimo SPCA (and all other SPCA branches) still only "sell" animals as there is minimal screening of purchasers, who are often blatantly unsuitable, even abusive and neglectful.

SPCA branches kill some dogs that are returned - because they have been sold to the wrong person by the SPCA - if that person blames the dog (even falsely) for any perceived aggressive behaviour.

Some SPCA branches, especially Interior and Northern branches, are still killing less marketable dogs for lack of space by using the SPCA's DTA4 dog test to label dogs "orange zone". The SPCA's own manual says that "orange" dogs must (or can) be killed to make room for more marketable "green zone" dogs, while the Nanaimo SPCA has the space to import sellable product from Mississippi.