As far back as 1997, AAS pointed out that mandatory sterilization laws were not even remotely enforceable; that not every cat was the problem, only those giving birth to kittens were, so the law was overkill; and that mandatory laws as promoted by Vancouver Humane Society, and vociferously backed by their friend, Sun columnist Nick Read, could open the way to "round-up-and-kill" by the Vancouver SPCA, which stood to increase its profits from its 18 municipal pound contracts in the lower mainland, by the addition of cat control to dog control in the contracts' requirements.
AAS proposed an alternative bylaw that is easily enforceable as it is only complaint-driven by the sale of kittens, and which addressed the only problem: litters of kittens. We were told by Vancouver Humane Society president Ingrid Pollack, and VHS associate, June Humphrey, that we didn't know what we were talking about and to butt out. (The link to our proposed Anti-Litter Law bylaw is below.)
Sure enough, the SPCA joined with Vancouver Humane Society and promoted this donation-attracting anti-cat legislation.
The section of the bylaw that could be used for very profitable round-up-and-kill is this one:
deliver the cat to the Poundkeeper, or, upon request, release the cat to the Poundkeeper"
This section could make anyone finding a stray cat take it to the SPCA (where at the time, most cats were killed), instead of being allowed to adopt it, or rehome it, or give it to a cat rescue society, as has happened for generations to cats lucky enough to escape being taken to an SPCA. This section could also mean that all trap/neuter/release of cats by compassionate cat trappers would end, as at that time, all feral cats (or any cats that acted the slightest bit feral, because of the terrible stress they were under), were immediately killed, even cats with a rescue groups' tattoo. Aside from the extra profit to be made by the SPCA from increased pound contracts, this legislation gave the SPCA an excuse to shut down the competition - the cat rescue groups that were taking away hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations. Nevertheless, VHS and the SPCA got their bylaws and media attention all across Canada.
Sure enough, the VHS/SPCA anti-cat legislation was never enforced.
Sure enough there has been no reduction in the work for all the humane cat trappers as a result of this legislation.
Sure enough the SPCA immediately swooped down on a cat rescuer, just as I had warned Read would happen. Read then wrote a column saying that I didn't know what I was talking about and to butt out.