I cannot help but comment on this astonishing quote by Lindsay Curry, Chairwoman, Community Advisory Committee, Kamloops Branch, BC SPCA.

"If everyone spayed and neutered their cats (and other animals) before they become sexually mature, the numbers of abandoned, stray, and surrendered animals would be greatly reduced. If we have fewer unwanted animals, when a disease like this strikes, the impact will be much less. "

The Kamloops Branch of the BC SPCA itself does not itself spay/neuter the animals it sells . Yet the Chairwoman of the Community Advisory Committee has the hypocritical gall to lecture and blame the public and the community. The BC SPCA is supposed to be an Animal Welfare Society. For years I mistakenly believed it was setting the example of how the public should treat animals. Well, in Kamloops it certainly has set a shocking example!

The cat overpopulation problem is horrendous and spay and neuter is not being done at the Kamloops Branch. The Kamloops Branch of the BC SPCA has not just recently been made aware that cats in particular should be spayed and neutered either. Many small societies throughout BC have been helping members of the public spay and neuter their cats for over 30 years. Victoria has two such Societies. Yet in Victoria, the SPCA closed its spay and neuter clinic as it was not profitable.

Could this be the problem - that animal welfare costs money?

I find it pathetic and incredibly sad that those entrusted with the community's animals can make animal population control decisions and then justify it as being in the public's best interest. Why the media in Kamloops do not question the killing of fifty-nine cats is shameful, but it will not be long before practises of kill rather than care for will no longer be acceptable even in communities like Kamloops.

Another quote by Lindsay Curry, "Remember, the SPCA has tough decisions to make. No one wants to make those decisions but they must be made to decrease the suffering of the animals and to give other animals in the shelter and the community a better chance for a life of good health and welfare".

The BC SPCA does have tough decisions to make. It has to decide whether to spend its money spaying and neutering and being proactive in all the communities it serves or whether to continue just to kill the animals should they become ill. Unfortunately killing the animals is still the cheaper alternative.

Personally I believe the cats and dogs in the Province of BC deserve better...