April 11, 2001

To: Animal Advocates Society of BC,

On a Sunday in 1998, I found a young, stray, pregnant, calico cat. My two cats are not friendly, so thinking the SPCA would care for her and protect her, I phoned the Vancouver Regional SPCA and told them I was bringing her in.

I offered t pay for all her care and to help look for a home for her.

When I brought her in I was given a case number 112.

No one told me what they intended to do to her.

On Monday morning I called to see how she was. They had killed her. They didn’t even bother to phone me, even thought I had offered to help.

The person who told me they had killed this innocent creature, barely more that a kitten herself, was rude, indifferent, and had no empathy for the cat.

Furious and heartbroken I called the head of the SPCA in Vancouver, Douglas Hooper, who said, “You don’t know what it’s like having to put them down.”

“Having to?” I replied. “What the hell are you doing killing them in the first place? If you can’t feel empathy, then get the hell out of it.”

I should have known there was something wrong with the SPCA because years before my husband and I adopted an old Siamese cat from the Delta SPCA. On the way home that dear cat was so grateful that we’d taken him away fro his miserable cage at the SPCA that he couldn’t stop purring and rubbing me. He didn’t seem well, so we took him immediately to our vet. He was so sick the vet said it was cruel to keep him alive and we had to euthanize him.

If the SPCA really loved animals as they claim, why didn’t they know this cat was sick? Why didn’t they get him veterinary attention in time to help him? How is this “speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves”?

I have never been able to forget that little pregnant calico cat and how I feel I betrayed her by taking her to the very place where she had no chance. If they had told me they were going to kill her, I would have kept her in my bathroom. How many thousands of little innocents has the SPCA done this to?