The Animal Advocates Society WatchDog News

Animal welfarists in Victoria totally REJECT the bringing of the DTA4 tool to Victoria now and in the near future.

Posted By: Carol Sonnex
Date: Wednesday, 7 July 2004, at 9:13 a.m.

In Response To: Times Colonist,July 6, 2004, Adoptability tests make dog lovers barking mad (AAS)

"They let me know ahead of time that they were interested in coming down to the shelter today to do a bit of lobbying in terms of the 'DTA4' assessment tool that's maybe coming to the shelter in the near future." Val Lykkemark (Victoria SPCA Mgr) is quoted as saying.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Animal welfarists in Victoria totally REJECT the bringing of the DTA4 tool to Victoria now and in the near future.

Both CAMP and the DTA4 Assessment tool are to be used in conjunction with reasonable and available resources. Moving forward to phase 2 of CAMP is being done before phase 1 is finished. The BC SPCA has also forced the cancellation of many programs that were running in Victoria by cutting the Budget to the bare bones. How can the BC SPCA expect Victoria Animal Lovers to accept an assessment tool which requires resources and rehabilitation and the resources and rehabilitation programs are not available.

The BC SPCA Head Office Program is setting the dogs up to fail and potentially to be killed. This is simply not acceptable. In Victoria we do not kill dogs unless there is absolutely no other option. This is now true at even the CRD Pound. To make the Victoria SPCA less humane than the pound? Animal Welfarists cannot allow this to happen and this is why we demonstrated on Monday July 5, 2004 at the Victoria SPCA, Napier Lane site.

The policies and programs that have been changed or cancelled since 2002 include:

-community spay and neuter program cancelled and spay/neuter clinic closed

-dire emergency assistance to pet owners fund cancelled . To receive help for their pet they must now surrender their dog or cat to the SPCA with no guarantees of what will happen with it. So a 15 year old dog needing a bit of help which the owner simply cannot afford must be surrendered? No one should have to surrender their very old dog because after many years an expense has occurred that is difficult to meet. Does the dog deserve to be taken from its home and rehomed? This makes no sense to me at all. I thought the SPCA were supposed to put the animals first.

-transport of injured wildlife to Wild Arc cancelled

-transport of disabled peoples pets to the vet when no other means are available cancelled

-pre-surrender counselling ....not started yet even though as been in the planning stages for years

-pre adoption counselling not available

- post adoption counselling not available and no resources to help if there are problems

-one van only on the road and the driver now reports to Senior Animal Protection Officer not the Victo