On December 31, 2002, I emailed then BC SPCA General Manager of Cruelty Investigations Craig Daniell details on six of the puppy mills I had been investigating in the Okanagan. Here is part of what I wrote to Mr. Daniell about Linda Douglas's breeding operation:

"While she is perhaps the cleanest of the puppy mills I have been to, she is also the least secretive...Her dogs are penned, but have far more space and a cleaner living area than most mills. They are also fairly regularly groomed."

I am glad that the SPCA is at least no longer telling me that there is nothing it can do about puppy mills. But I must also go on record to say that I disagree with abuse of power in ANY form by ANY person or group, including the SPCA.

For the record, I have to say that the way to deal with the less bad mills like the Douglas's is to ask for, and enforce, control of breeding and kennel standards legislation. The way to deal with the thousands of breeding operations in this province that the SPCA hasn't the resources to humanely seize from, is to draft new rules about how dogs can be kept, notify breeders of these new rules, and make sure the rules get followed.

I support the BC SPCA cracking down on puppy mills, but I cannot support bullying and misuse of the law, and I cannot support scaring and injuring animals during seizures, or making sick and then killing the seized.

For the record, I ask once again for the SPCA to get better laws, not bigger guns.