Thank you, everyone, for your praise and encouragement. Your moral support means a lot to our volunteers. As all of you know, no matter how hard you work, you are never able to help all the animals out there who need assistance so desperately. That horrible fact of life can be pretty overwhelming and discouraging at times; your kind words are a much-appreciated morale booster.

During the last four years I've talked to a lot of disappointed, unhappy BC SPCA volunteers and ex-volunteers around the province. Some of them have walked away from the BC SPCA and, sadly, from any work for animal welfare. Many of them, on the other hand, feel that they cannot abandon the needy animals in their communities and that their involvement with the local BC SPCA branch is the only way that they can continue to help them. But, with no authority over the care of the animals in their shelter and with no responsibilty for the way the donations they raise are spent, many of these people have lost a lot of their enthusiasm for fundraising and recruitment of members. Hey guys, if the former Vernon Branch volunteers can form their own society and win community support, so can you!

To work effectively all of us need to know that we are doing our absolute best for needy animals and for our donors and supporters. Running your own organization is the only way you can really be sure that you are doing that. A volunteer organization can make every single penny work for animals. A volunteer organization does NOT spend scarce donations and hard-earned fundraising proceeds on salaries, PR, legal bills, glossy mailouts, "free" gifts, fine words and empty promises. A volunteer organization doesn't waste time blaming the public for its lack of support. A volunteer organization gets on with its job of helping animals while leading and educating by example.

Smart donors in your community are sick of supporting charities where only a tiny percentage of their donation is actually spent on the "cause". They'll be delighted to support a truly accountable, democratic and local charity. Just start working and they'll be there to support you.