These are all extremely excellent points...as a former volunteer at the Burnaby SPCA, I have seen firsthand what happens to dogs (and cats) when they are stressed at shelters. Their hair falls out, they get diarrhea (which I have seen the SPCA use as an excuse to kill a dog), they get lethargic and depressed, and often just curl up into a corner. Or they become totally anxious and bark and 'scream' when someone comes by.

I have seen this at the Vancouver City Pound as well, but at least at the pound they allowed volunteers to come in and out a lot so the dogs got out a lot more during the day, whereas the SPCA restricted when volunteers could come and dog walk. How is this animal welfare, to house them in conditions that are this seriously stressful for an animal?

And if money is a problem (as far as improving the conditions of the shelters...even one shelter), I can bet you there are a ton of volunteers out there who would bend over backwards to raise money for improved living conditions, as well as many private citizens who would donate time, money, and material...but the SPCA has never asked. Why NOT?

From watching how stressful a "shelter" is to an animal, I went home and wrote up a will, specifying where all my animals should go to in the event anything happens to myself or my husband as I never, ever, ever want to see any of animals in a "shelter" again.