AS 13 - SpringSummer 2005

B C S P C A
www.spca.bc.ca
SPRING/SUMMER 2005 $2.95
SPEAKING
F O R
A N I M A L S
2004
ANNUAL
REPORT
BRIGHT
FUTURE
FOR SEIZED
MASTIFFS
NEWS BRIEFS
BISCUIT FUND
PROVIDES
EMERGENCY
MEDICAL CARE
ARE BREED BANS
THE ANSWER?
PET
OVERPOPULATION
BC SPCA ANNOUNCES NEW
SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC IN THE NORTH
PM 40065475
Fighting pet overpopulation
I’M SURE MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE
term “raining cats and dogs.” This phrase takes on added
significance at the BC SPCA as we seek to overcome the
very real problem of pet overpopulation in British
Columbia. Although attitudes have changed in much of
the province, unwanted litters of animals are still being
born every day, particularly in more rural, northern
communities. The frustrating aspect is that this is a
preventable tragedy, which can be solved in our lifetime.
The recent decision by the BC SPCA to establish a
spay/neuter clinic in Prince George is proof of our
organization’s commitment to addressing the problem.
By itself, the spay/neuter clinic will not solve the problem,
but with continued education, improved legislation and
contents
S P R I N G / S U M M E R
greatly increased sterilization, we truly can stop the downpour!
Thank you for your ongoing support of the BC SPCA.
I hope this edition of AnimalSense will challenge you to
redouble your efforts to fight pet overpopulation.
Craig Daniell
Chief Executive Officer
BC SPCA
2 0 0 5
departments features
3 NEWS BRIEFS
Make your pet a star;
Orphaned otters released;
Paws for a Cause;
2nd annual feral cat clinic;
Shopping rewards animals;
Kids love animal camps;
Adoption database part of
new Shelter Buddy system;
Toast the animals;
What’s new in education.
19 CATSENSE
Why cats scratch.
6 Pet Overpopulation
BC SPCA announces new spay/neuter clinic
to save thousands of animals in Prince George.
10 Bright Future for Mastiffs
An update on 43 English Mastiffs seized
north of Kamloops; and the latest on the
crackdown on puppy mills.
12 Biscuit Fund
Our newest fund provides emergency
medical care for animals in need.
19 APPLIEDKNOWLEDGE
Are Pit Bulls naturally
aggressive?
13 BC SPCA Annual Report 2004
Message from the CEO and president, how
your donations make a difference in cruelty
investigations, animal welfare, humane
education and more. Thank you to our
donors.
20 DOGSENSE
Stanley Coren on
aggression.
21 Happy Endings
Lost for five months, Bonnie is returned to
her home.
22 Pulling in a Different Direction
Humane collars will make a difference
for you and your dog.
23 Kids Club
Kids Club members from around the
province are making a difference for
animals in their communities.
ANIMALSENSE • BC SPCA SPEAKING FOR ANIMALS SPRING/SUMMER 2005 / VOLUME 6, NUMBER 1
MANAGING EDITOR Peggy John / ART DIRECTOR Laurel MacLean / BC SPCA EDITORS Lorie Chortyk, Craig Naherniak
COVER PHOTO Tekton Creative / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Joachim Graber
AnimalSense is published for the BC SPCA by Canada Wide Magazines and Communications Ltd. 4th Floor-4180 Lougheed Highway, Burnaby, B.C.,
V5C 6A7. Telephone 604-299-7311.
We welcome your comments on AnimalSense magazine. Please write to us: BC SPCA, 1245 East 7th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V5T 1R1, or email:
info@spca.bc.ca website: www.spca.bc.ca Telephone: 604-681-7271; Fax: 604-681-7022. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Send
change-of-address notices and covers of undeliverable copies to: AnimalSense, BC SPCA, 1245 East 7th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V5T 1R1. To receive a copy of AnimalSense call 604-6817271. Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40065475 / ©BC SPCA. Printed on recycled paper
REC
Y
E •
• PL
SE
CL
E
A
BC SPCA
briefs
A
your pet
here!
ORPHANED OTTERS RELEASED
IT WAS A BITTERSWEET MOMENT FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
MAKE YOUR PET
A STAR!
WHAT WOULD AN SPCA
supporter give to have their pet’s
photo appear on the cover of the
BC SPCA Calendar? That’s what
we hope to find out by auctioning
off the coveted spot on our 2006
province-wide calendar that will
reach more than 50,000 households across B.C.
Between May 16th and June
24th, you can place a bid to make
your pet an instant celebrity
while helping to raise urgentlyneeded funds for thousands of
animals in need. A photo shoot
with a professional photographer
will be arranged the week of June
27th.
The minimum bid is $2,000.
To place a bid, please provide
your name, address, phone number
and email address (if applicable)
along with your bid amount and send
it to Joel Ornoy at the BC SPCA,
1245 East 7th Avenue, Vancouver,
BC V5T 1R1. email:
jornoy@spca.bc.ca; fax (604) 681-7022;
(604) 681-7271. The leading bid
amount will be posted daily on our
website www.spca.bc.ca.
of Wild ARC, the SPCA’s wildlife rehabilitation centre on Vancouver
Island, as four delightful otters who had been cared for at the centre for
nearly a year were released back into the wild in late March. Tahsis,
Sooke, Ucluelet and Jabber Jabber were found as baby orphans and would
have died had they not been rescued and provided with the proper
habitat, diet and care as they grew into adults.
Sara Dubois, manager of Wild ARC, says
the mischievous foursome will definitely be
missed. “You can’t help
but get attached
because they are so
engaging and comical,
but we deliberately
kept our contact to a
minimum so that the
otters wouldn’t lose
their natural caution of
humans, which they
will need in the wild.
Our main goal is always
to make the transition
back into the wild as
easy as possible for the animals in our care.”
Orphaned river otters are one of the most costly animals for Wild
ARC to rehabilitate because they require plentiful and expensive diets as
they grow – from specialized formula designed to replicate their mother’s
milk when they first arrive, to a hearty diet of meat, eggs, fresh fruit and
vegetables, salmon, clams, mussels and shrimp. “We operate through
donations, so we are always in need of help to offset the cost of feeding
and care,” says Dubois. Tahsis, Sooke, Ucluelet and Jabber Jabber were
among more than 1,600 injured wildlife cared for at Wild ARC last year.
To find out how you can help, please visit www.wildarc.com.
Spring/Summer 2005 •
AnimalSense
3
briefs
HELP FOR ANIMALS IS JUST A
CLICK AWAY
2ND ANNUAL FERAL
CAT CLINIC
Across BC there are thousands of feral cats (cats abandoned by guardians) living in colonies and reproducing
unchecked. These cats live short, brutal lives, often
suffering from starvation, injury, disease and attack
from predators. In many communities volunteer cat
lovers come together to manage feral cat colonies,
caring for the animals and helping to get them spayed
and neutered to prevent the population from growing.
To assist in these efforts the BC SPCA held its second
annual free feral cat spay/neuter clinic at the Society’s
Vancouver Animal Hospital in March. SPCA staff and
several local veterinarians volunteered their time to spay
and neuter the feral cats brought in by local rescue
groups. The clinic also provided other free services for
the cats, such as medical examinations, identification
tattoos and vaccinations.
SHOPPING
REWARDS ANIMALS
The HBC Rewards Community Program is a great way to
help animals in need in BC – without any additional
financial cost to you. Every time you shop at the HBC
family of stores – the Bay, Zellers, Home Outfitters and
DealsOutlet.ca – you earn Rewards points by using your
HBC Rewards Card. You can direct your points to your
local SPCA shelter by linking with the shelter’s
community account on the website. The points we earn
will help purchase items such as digital cameras used in
cruelty investigations or to publish photos of animals
available for adoption. As well, we can turn reward
points into shelter supplies and exciting prizes for raffles
– helping to raise even more funds for animals in need.
Your local SPCA will receive 1,000 bonus points for
every new member (up to 50 in a year) who links to
their community account
online. The sooner you
enroll, the sooner we earn
points for the animals!
To find out more, visit
www.spca.bc.ca or call
your local shelter.
4
AnimalSense • Spring/Summer 2005
JOIN THE GROWING NUMBER OF
walkers who will raise pledges online for one
of 36 Paws for a Cause walks across BC on
September 11th. The annual BC SPCA
walk is the premier fundraising event for
homeless, injured and abused animals in BC.
Last year, walkers significantly increased
pledges by using our new online system to ask co-workers, family
and friends for their support via personal emails. Those who contribute online receive an instant charitable tax receipt and thank you.
There will be great prizes for the top online pledge collectors,
and a fantastic European cruise for two for the top individual
fundraiser in BC. There are also great team prizes, so sign up your
company, school, veterinary clinic or club to walk for the animals.
All funds raised at Paws for a Cause walks stay in local communities
to help animals in need.
The new Paws for a Cause site can be accessed through the BC
SPCA website at www.spca.bc.ca. If you prefer not to donate online,
pledge brochures will be available in June at all Petcetera stores,
Scotiabank branches and SPCA branches across BC. For more
information call 1-800-665-1868.
KIDS LOVE ANIMAL CAMPS
WHERE CAN KIDS LEARN ALL ABOUT ANIMALS AND
have fun at the same time? At SPCA summer camps of course.
Each year several BC SPCA Branches host week-long summer day
camps for kids from eight to 12 years of age. The kids learn much
more than responsible animal care. They develop empathy skills,
cooperative learning, critical thinking, plus they learn tons about
dogs, cats, farm animals, wildlife and more! Camps are held
throughout the Lower Mainland and in select branches around
the province. For more details, visit www.spca.bc.ca/kids.
WHAT’S NEW!
ADOPTION DATABASE
PART OF NEW SHELTER
BUDDY SYSTEM
THE BC SPCA IS IMPLEMENTING
a new web-based system called Shelter
Buddy that will centralize information
from the Society’s provincial office and 37 branches.
Shelter Buddy will provide up-to-date statistics,
enhance the BC SPCA’s ability to track animals in
the system, update cruelty investigations and
administer volunteer management and donor
support. Two special features for the public to be
launched in upcoming months include the new
Adoption database and an interactive Lost and
Found service.
When an animal is marked as “Available for
Adoption” at one of the provincial shelters, the
photo and description will immediately appear on
the public area of the site for potential adopters to
browse and search by shelter, breed and other
characteristics. At the time of adoption, the animal
will automatically be removed from the public site,
meaning the adoption section will always be upto-date. There will also be an area where individuals can fill out details on what sort of pet they are
seeking to adopt. When an animal matching that
description enters the system, Shelter Buddy automatically sends an email to the interested party.
All lost or found animals brought into a shelter
will also automatically be posted on the website
for viewing. Members of the public who find or
lose animals can enter their own data directly onto
the site and can use the system to print out a
unique lost or found poster.
The BC SPCA’s education department develops a wide range of
materials and resources for all ages to promote the welfare of
animals. New resources include:
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR FACT SHEETS
Having issues with your dog barking or chewing excessively while you
are away from the house? Want to know the best way to introduce a
second cat to your household? The BC SPCA has created a number of
behaviour fact sheets to help you deal with these and other issues.
For details, go to www.spca.bc.ca.
CURRICULUM UNITS
Newly developed teacher units, available for free download from the
BC SPCA website, are designed to help teachers integrate humane
education into the classroom. A new electronic newsletter for teachers,
e-Teacher, is also keeping teachers up-to-date on animal issues and
providing additional resources and ideas for classroom use.
FARM ANIMAL WELFARE NEWSLETTER
Concerned about what is being done to improve the welfare of farm
animals? The BC SPCA now has an electronic newsletter, FarmSense,
which focuses just on farm animal welfare. To receive the newsletter,
send your email address to Geoff Urton, farm animal welfare
coordinator, at gurton@spca.bc.ca.
RAISE A GLASS AND
TOAST THE ANIMALS!
The BC SPCA and Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards,
an estate winery located in the Okanagan Valley, have
launched an innovative partnership to
raise funds to help homeless, injured and
abused animals. The two organizations
will work together in Vancouver and the
Okanagan Valley. Hawthorne Mountain
Vineyards will coordinate a May program
called SIT-STAY-SIP: Kindness by the
Glass in celebration of “Be Kind to
Animals Month.” For every bottle or
glass of Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards
or See Ya Later Ranch wine sold through
select liquor stores or restaurants, Hawthorne
Mountain Vineyards will donate a portion of sales to
the BC SPCA. Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards will
also participate in the BC SPCA annual fundraising
walk Paws for a Cause on September 11 and host a
Dog Days of Summer fundraiser at the winery on
October 1, to mark the winery’s third anniversary.
For more details, visit www.spca.bc.ca.
Spring/Summer 2005 •
AnimalSense
5
Pet overpopulation
New spay/neuter clinic to save
thousands of animals in Prince George
Few of us can resist the sight of an adorable kitten or a squirming bundle of
warm, soft puppies. But while the image may be sweet, the harsh reality is
that thousands of unwanted kittens and puppies are abandoned in BC
each year. Some are dropped off at overcrowded shelters, while many
others are simply dumped in trash bins or fields and left to die.
“What makes the pet overpopulation problem in BC
so frustrating is that it is completely preventable,” says Dr.
Jamie Lawson, chief animal health officer for the BC
SPCA. “Some people let their pets have litters and then
callously dispose of the young animals. Others insist that
their pet should experience the ‘miracle of birth’ and then
discard the offspring at shelters without thinking that they
are adding to an already tragic pet overpopulation problem. The bottom line is that animals suffer and die
because humans behave irresponsibly.”
In Northern BC the problem of surplus animals is
particularly acute. While the SPCA has been able to
achieve a zero euthanasia rate for adoptable animals in
most communities, the Prince George SPCA (the busiest
of the Society’s 37 branches) is forced to euthanize 51 per
cent of the 4,500 animals it receives each year because of
the staggering number of surplus animals and the lack of
willing adopters. “It’s not unusual to have up to 70 puppies in the shelter at one time in addition to all of the
other abandoned animals needing homes,” says one
staffer. “The saddest sight in the world is someone dropping off yet another box full of puppies or kittens when
you know there are no homes for them. We’re here
because we want to save animals and having to euthanize beautiful, innocent animals every day takes a
very heavy emotional toll.”
The BC SPCA recently took a significant step
forward to address the plight of the thousands of
unwanted animals in Northern BC. On
February 25th, the Society announced
the creation of an SPCA spay/neuter
clinic in Prince George that will provide
more than 4,000 spay/neuter operations
each year. The first priority will be to
ensure that all of the animals
leaving the Prince George SPCA shelter are sterilized
prior to adoption and secondly, that pet guardians in the
region have access to affordable spay/neuter services.
“We believe this new clinic will make a tremendous
difference to the welfare of animals in the north,” says
Mary Lou Troman, volunteer president of the BC SPCA.
“The number of animals dying needlessly in the Prince
George region was absolutely unacceptable to us and we
How you can help . . .
1. Spay or neuter your pets and
educate others to do the same.
Information on the benefits of
spaying and neutering is available on
the SPCA website at www.spca.bc.ca.
2. Donate to your local shelter to help
offset the costs of sterilizing shelter
animals prior to adoption.
3. Become a volunteer driver to
take shelter animals to and from the
local veterinarian for spaying and
neutering.
4. Become involved in a community
awareness program to promote
spaying and neutering.
5. Help us make the new SPCA clinic
in Prince George a success! Donations
are urgently needed to fund the
on-going operation of the clinic. The
SPCA is also seeking an individual or
corporation interested in becoming a
major name sponsor of the clinic.
For more details, contact Simon
Trevelyan at 1-800-665-1868.
Top photo: A homeless cat in the
Prince George Shelter.
Middle: A local vet helps out
during a spay/neuter clinic for feral cats.
Bottom: The site of the new BC SPCA
spay/neuter clinic.
Spring/Summer 2005 •
AnimalSense
7
Dr. Jamie Lawson with abandoned puppies in Prince George.
knew we had to find a way to help the community deal
with this problem.”
The clinic will begin operating on shelter animals this
summer and will open to the public in early fall.
“Through a grant from the Vancouver Foundation, we’ll
also be able to reach out to First Nations communities to
provide humane education to address the root causes of
pet overpopulation,” says Troman. The SPCA clinic will
operate with one full-time veterinarian, two animal health
technicians, a receptionist/bookkeeper and a part-time
student to assist with kennel cleaning and upkeep.
The new Prince George clinic will be the second
SPCA facility of its kind operating in BC. The first clinic
– located adjacent to the Vancouver SPCA shelter – was
opened in 1976 to help deal with the pet overpopulation
problem that existed in the Lower Mainland at that time.
John van der Hoeven, a former SPCA manager who
joined the Society in 1969, remembers the terrible plight
of animals in the 1970s. “Attitudes have changed
drastically since then, but at the time, people weren’t
concerned about spaying and neutering their pets and
thousands of unwanted animals were being dumped off at
shelters every month,” recalls van der Hoeven. “Every
year, up to 80,000 perfectly healthy animals were
euthanized by animal welfare organizations in the
Lower Mainland because no one would adopt
them. At the same time, huge numbers of
surplus animals kept flooding into shelters
day after day. It was a terrible
situation.”
In its first full year of operation, staff at the Vancouver
SPCA clinic performed more
than 14,000 spay/neuter operations and that number remained
steady until the need for the
8
AnimalSense • Spring/Summer 2005
service gradually declined because of the reduced number
of surplus animals in Greater Vancouver. Aggressive
spay/neuter education programs by the SPCA and other
animal welfare groups also led to a shift in public attitudes
and a greater number of pets being taken to veterinarians
to be sterilized. “Within a decade we saw a dramatic
decrease in the number of homeless animals,” says van der
Hoeven. “While there are still irresponsible pet guardians
out there, the combination of affordable spay/neuter
services and public education was very successful in
addressing the problem in the Lower Mainland.”
Dr. Jamie Lawson believes the SPCA’s latest initiative
in Prince George holds the same ray of hope for animals
in need. “I am confident that within the first few years
we’ll see a significant reduction in the number of surplus
animals and within a decade there will be dramatic
changes in the welfare of animals in the north.”
In addition to opening the Prince George clinic in
2005, the SPCA is working hard to help communities
target pet overpopulation through other initiatives. The
SPCA clinic in Vancouver continues to reduce or waive
fees to spay and neuter the pets of low-income residents
and holds free spay/neuter clinics for rescue groups
involved in managing feral cat populations. Innovative
programs have also been put into place in shelters across
the province to ensure that as many animals as possible
are sterilized prior to adoption. Most recently, the SPCA
purchased two Pet Express animal transport vehicles with
the help of the pet store chain Petcetera to bring animals
from the north to the Lower Mainland, where they have a
much greater chance of being adopted. In addition to
these efforts, the SPCA continues to highlight the importance of spaying and neutering in its on-going humane
education and media campaigns.
“Affordable spay/neuter programs are essential,
but the real key to success lies in changing public
attitudes,” says Dr. Lawson. “When pet
guardians behave responsibly, the suffering
caused by pet overpopulation will be
eradicated. For those of us who
love animals, that day can’t
come soon enough.” ■
A litter of kittens from the
Prince George shelter.
Are breed bans the answer?
WHEN A DOG ATTACKS A
defenseless child it becomes frontpage news. Thankfully, vicious dog
attacks are extremely rare given the
millions of interactions that occur
between people and dogs each day.
But when they do occur they illicit a
strong emotional response – sometimes so strong that it can lead to a
call for legislative change, as it has
recently in Ontario where the
provincial government has placed
a ban on Pit Bull dogs.
But do breed bans work?
No one would argue the need to
protect the public from dangerous
dogs. But a Pit Bull ban does very
little to achieve this. It may eliminate
attacks by aggressive Pit Bulls, but
unfortunately does nothing to protect
people from other aggressive dogs
who roam our parks, streets and
schoolyards. It may even give people
a false sense of security, since a dog of
any breed, even a Golden Retriever,
can be extremely dangerous if it is
bred and raised irresponsibly. If we
are to truly protect the public,
governments and communities must
work together to develop strategies
that get to the root of the problem of
inappropriate aggression by dogs of
all breeds.
A dog’s motivation to attack or to
defend himself or herself is governed
by a range of factors, including genetics, whether or not they are spayed or
neutered, their socialization and
experience as puppies, later socialization, training and care and sheltering
conditions. Reducing aggression and
incidents of dog bites must focus on
these factors and on the actions of
irresponsible breeders and pet
guardians who intentionally, or
through lack of education, promote
aggression in their animals. This can
be achieved through bylaws that
promote spaying and neutering, make
pet identification mandatory, restrict
the keeping of backyard dogs and
place the burden of responsibility for
an animal’s actions on the guardian
not the dog. Licensing programs
that regulate breeding facilities, pet
shops and trainers, comprehensive
education programs on responsible
pet guardianship and dog bite
prevention, mandatory reporting of
dangerous dogs and the availability
of certified remedial help for canine
aggression have also proven
extremely successful in reducing
incidents of dog bites in other
jurisdictions.
Addressing the root problems of
canine aggression, rather than targeting certain breeds, will keep our
communities safer and will not
discriminate against non-aggressive,
friendly dogs who have the misfortune
of belonging to a “banned” breed. It
will also prevent us from going down
the same path of other countries that
are now reversing ineffective breed
bans or those who have been forced
to add upwards of 30 breeds of dogs
to their list of banned animals as each
new attack by a different breed
occurs.
The BC SPCA is committed to
working with governments and all
stakeholder groups to create humane
communities where dogs and humans
co-exist safely and enrich each other’s
lives. ■
Spring/Summer 2005 •
AnimalSense
9
Proud Toshi with her puppies shortly after their
birth at the Vernon shelter; the sleeping pack;
Leroy, one of Toshi's 10 pups at eight weeks.
A bright
future for
Gentle Giants
An update on 43 English
Mastiffs seized north of
Kamloops; and the latest on
the crackdown on puppy mills.
EVERY NEW MOM WANTS A BRIGHT FUTURE
for her babies. And that’s just what Toshi, a 90-kilogram
(200-pound) English mastiff, got when she delivered 10
rambunctious puppies at the Vernon SPCA shelter in late
December. But the future wasn’t always so promising for
Toshi and her energetic litter.
Toshi was one of 43 English mastiffs seized by BC
SPCA animal protection officers in two separate cruelty
investigations on a property north of Kamloops last year.
The mastiffs, known as gentle giants because of their
overwhelming size and easy-going nature, were living in
extremely filthy and dangerous conditions when SPCA
cruelty officers rescued them from the rural property.
“Sadly, one of the dogs died despite receiving immediate
veterinary care,” says Dianne McKeown, manager of the
Kelowna and Vernon shelters. “The rest had to be treated
for a wide range of medical problems because of the
neglect they had suffered.”
It was during the initial medical examinations following the seizure that clinic staff discovered Toshi was
pregnant. “The poor dog had been through so much
already, we wanted to make sure the rest of her pregnancy
and her delivery were as stress-free as possible,” says
10
18
AnimalSense • Spring/Summer 2005
McKeown. A special birthing area was created for Toshi
and as her due date grew closer a staff member slept
overnight at the shelter to keep a watchful eye on the
mom-to-be. “On December 29th at 3 a.m. I had a call
from the shelter to say Toshi had gone into labour,” says
McKeown. “By the time I arrived, she had already given
birth to six very healthy and demanding youngsters, and
by 3:00 the following afternoon there were a total of 10
puppies.” Shelter staff and two members of Northfield
Mastiffs, a local rescue group, took volunteer shifts to
provide 24-hour, one-on-one care for Toshi and her offspring. “It was pretty chaotic keeping 10 puppies fed and
happy and making sure that Toshi got the rest she needed,”
says McKeown. Staff also had to keep a close watch to
make sure the exhausted new mom didn’t accidentally roll
over onto her pups. “She is so huge and the puppies were
so tiny and fragile.”
Ensuring a safe delivery was just the first step in
creating a new, happy life for Toshi, her puppies, and the
42 other mastiffs seized in the cruelty investigation. “Our
first priority following the seizures was to provide safe
shelter and to address their extensive veterinary needs,”
says McKeown. “The daily care requirements for 53 dogs
in a shelter are pretty demanding at the best of times. In
this case, we were dealing with dogs weighing between
160 and 260 pounds who needed specialized care for a
variety of injuries and medical problems.”
Once the animals’ immediate needs had been met,
the SPCA quickly contacted rescue groups in Canada and
Washington State who specialize in the care and re-homing
AnimalSense • Spring 2003
of English mastiffs. “It was important that the dogs be
cared for by individuals who understood the special needs
of this large breed and who had experience in identifying
and screening appropriate homes,” says McKeown. Within weeks of their rescue, all of the dogs had been transported to experienced foster homes where they received
ongoing veterinary care and rehabilitation until they were
ready to be placed for adoption. “The help we received
from groups such as Mastiff Rescue Northwest in Washington State was just amazing,” says McKeown. “They
were so generous with their expertise and really went the
extra mile to ensure the mastiffs got the happy endings
they deserve.”
All of the English mastiffs seized in the cruelty investigations, including Toshi and her puppies, have now been
adopted into loving homes. As a result of the SPCA investigations the dogs’ former owner has been charged with
animal cruelty under both the Criminal Code of Canada
and the BC Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and is
currently awaiting trial.
Puppy Mill Update
The BC SPCA’s province-wide crackdown on puppy mill
operators is gaining momentum. Several recent investigations of unscrupulous breeders have resulted in long-term
or lifetime bans on owning animals for those convicted of
animal cruelty. One such case involves Princeton resident
Allan Materi, who was given a lifetime ban on owning
animals in February in what is believed to be the SPCA’s
largest seizure of puppy mill dogs in BC. BC SPCA
animal protection officers seized 87 dogs and seven horses
from deplorable conditions on Materi’s property. Twentyfour of the 87 dogs removed were puppies, and pregnant
females rescued from the property gave birth to an
additional 31 puppies while in the care of the SPCA.
Among the breeds of dogs rescued from the property
were golden retrievers, basset hounds, pugs, miniature
pinschers, Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Yorkshire terriers,
and Shih Tzus. The dogs were suffering from a wide
range of serious medical and behavioural issues and
required intensive rehabilitation for problems stemming
from their ordeal. The SPCA has since found new loving
homes for 117 dogs either removed from the property or
who were born following the seizure. Homes were also
found for the other animals rescued from the property.
BC SPCA animal protection officers seized
18 Shih Tzus from a breeding facility north of Kamloops in February. The dogs were living in feces and mudfilled kennels and were suffering from several medical
problems including rotting teeth, ear infections and
parasites. The animals have received on-going veterinary
care and charges of animal cruelty are pending in the case.
The SPCA has intervened twice in recent
months to seize animals from a Fraser Valley woman
previously convicted of animal cruelty. Marcy Ryan was
convicted in two high-profile puppy mill investigations in
2003 and was given a 10-year ban on having custody of
animals for any purpose. In December 2004 the SPCA
learned that Ryan was violating her court-ordered ban
and seized nine animals from her property. On March 15,
2005, cruelty officers determined that Ryan was once
again keeping animals and seized six dogs in distress from
a make-shift breeding facility that Ryan had set up in a
rented barn. Ryan now faces several criminal charges for
violating a court-ordered ban as well as new charges of
causing distress to animals.
For updates on puppy mill cases and other SPCA
cruelty investigations, visit the News section of the SPCA
website at www.spca.bc.ca. ■
EACH YEAR THE BC SPCA INVESTIGATES MORE THAN 8,200
COMPLAINTS OF ANIMAL NEGLECT AND
ABUSE. THE SPCA IS NOT A GOVERNMENT-FUNDED ORGANIZATION AND RELIES ON
DONATIONS TO PAY FOR THE MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS SPENT ON INVESTIGATIONS, VETERINARY CARE,
SHELTERING AND LEGAL COSTS EACH YEAR. PLEASE
HELP US ERADICATE ANIMAL CRUELTY IN
BC BY MAKING A DONATION ONLINE AT WWW.SPCA.BC.CA OR BY CALLING 1-800-665-1868.
Spring/Summer 2005 •
AnimalSense
11
Biscuit
Fund
Saves
Lives
PICKLE, A SWEET-NATURED,
cross-breed puppy from Powell
River, was only three months old
when he experienced terrible
violence at the hands of humans.
Pickle’s leg was badly broken when
his guardian’s roommate threw him
across a room in a fit of rage. His
painful injury was left untreated for
two days, until he was brought to a
veterinarian, who immediately
notified the SPCA. While SPCA
cruelty officers began pursuing
charges of animal cruelty in the case,
Pickle’s guardian turned the injured
puppy over to the SPCA rather than
pay the high cost of the surgery and
rehabilitation needed to save the
dog’s leg.
“We rescue hundreds of injured
animals like Pickle every year,” says
Lorie Chortyk, the BC SPCA’s
general manager of community
relations. “Some have been abandoned, while others are surrendered
by guardians who can’t, or won’t,
pay for their animal’s medical treatment. Often these animals are in
tremendous pain and have nowhere
else to turn.”
12
AnimalSense • Spring/Summer 2005
JOIN THE BISCUIT FUND FAMILY
To help animals like Pickle, last
year the BC SPCA launched a special
fund to raise money for emergency
medical treatment for homeless
animals. Every penny raised (100 per
cent of donations) goes directly
toward veterinary and rehabilitation
costs. SPCA shelters throughout the
province can apply for funds to help
the injured animals they receive.
“Each year the BC SPCA incurs
millions of dollars in veterinary
costs,” says Chortyk. “We are not a
government-funded agency, and with
more than 53,000 injured, abused and
abandoned animals coming into our
shelters each year, it is an ongoing
challenge to raise enough funds to
help all the injured animals we
receive.” Chortyk says the SPCA is
very encouraged by the response to
the new Biscuit Fund. “People have
really opened their hearts and made it
possible for us to save so many more
animals since the fund was launched.”
In Pickle’s case, the Biscuit Fund
paid for a successful surgery to reset
his leg and the SPCA found a loving
foster home to care for him while he
recuperated. During his recovery,
The Biscuit Fund is named after a three
year-old mixed breed dog who was
stabbed repeatedly in the neck with a
steak knife and left for dead. Biscuit
managed to pull himself into a nearby
garage, where he was discovered and
rushed to a veterinarian. He was transferred to the local SPCA, where he was
nursed back to health in a safe, nurturing
environment. Despite his horrible ordeal,
Biscuit appears to harbour no grudges
against humans and is thriving in the care
of his new, loving family.
To properly care
for injured and
sick homeless
animals like
Biscuit we need
your help!
Become a donor
or sponsor today
to provide emergency treatment
for animals in
need. You can
make a donation to the Biscuit Fund
1. Online at www.spca.bc.ca
(click on the Biscuit logo)
2. By sending in a donation in the
attached Biscuit Fund envelope
3. By calling 1-800-665-1868
Photos and stories of animals who
have been helped by the Biscuit Fund and
those still needing sponsors are posted on
the BC SPCA website at
www.spca.bc.ca/help/biscuitfund.asp.
Pickle’s foster family decided they
couldn’t bear to part with the affectionate pup and permanently adopted
him. Today, Pickle goes to work with
his new ‘dad’ and loves being the
centre of attention in his new family.
As a result of the SPCA investigation,
charges of animal cruelty were
recently laid against the individual
who abused Pickle. ■
2004
ANNUAL REPORT
THE BC SPCA CHARTER
WHEREAS:
The world is inhabited by many species sharing
a common ecosystem of air, earth and water.
We recognize and value our interconnectedness
with all animals.
THEREFORE:
The BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals is dedicated to protecting and enhancing
the quality of life for the animals of the world
we share.
We pledge our energies to inspire and mobilize
society to create a world in which all animals,
who depend on humans for their well-being,
experience, as a minimum, five essential
freedoms:
Freedom from hunger and thirst
Freedom from pain, injury and disease
Freedom from distress
Freedom from discomfort
Freedom to express behaviours that promote
well-being
Dear Friends,
It is hard to believe that another year
has gone by at the BC SPCA. 2004
brought with it many challenges, but
also a number of significant initiatives
and achievements that have allowed us
to help thousands of animals in crisis
and to move the animal welfare agenda forward.
The cruelty investigation department worked diligently in 2004 to
rescue animals in distress and to
ensure that those who inflict cruelty
on domestic, farm or wild animals are
held accountable for their crimes
through the justice system. Last year
we responded to more than 8,200
cruelty complaints and our animal
protection officers continued their
efforts to eradicate puppy mill
operations in BC. We have now
extended our investigations to include
pet stores that sell suspected puppy
mill dogs.
During this past year, the Society
also celebrated a very significant
financial accomplishment – the
approval of the first consolidated
audited financial statements of the BC
SPCA in its 109-year history. This
achievement was the culmination of a
tremendous amount of work to
centralize the budgets of the provincial office and all 37 branches following the 2001 restructure of the
Society’s governance. The Society
remains committed to producing
consolidated audited financial
statements within 180 days of yearend and to providing detailed financial
accountability to our donors.
Like all charities, the BC SPCA
faced considerable financial
challenges in 2004. The Society took
significant steps to increase revenues
and reduce expenditures, and through
much hard work, we successfully
improved our financial situation by
approximately $3 million compared
with the 2003 financial results. We will
continue to be vigilant in the use of
funds entrusted to us by our supporters.
As we move forward with a new
strategic plan in 2005, animal care,
cruelty investigations, humane education and advocacy will remain the
cornerstones of our work. We are
extremely excited about several initiatives that are already under way and
will be completed in 2005, including a
new Animal Adoption Centre in
Penticton and a new Spay/Neuter
Clinic in Prince George that will
dramatically reduce the pet overpopulation problem in the north.
We have touched on just some of
the many significant achievements of
the BC SPCA this past year. We
encourage you to learn more in the
pages that follow. The work of the BC
SPCA would not be possible without
the ongoing, unwavering support of
staff, volunteers and supporters of the
Society. We offer our heartfelt
appreciation to all those who share
our passion for the welfare of animals
and who have made the accomplishments of the past year possible.
Craig Daniell
Chief Executive Officer
Mary Lou Troman
Volunteer President
transfers, cruelty investigations,
volunteer management and donor
development. Shelter Buddy was
piloted in three shelters in late
2004 and will be rolled out in an
additional 20 shelters in 2005.
Wildlife Rescue and
Rehabilitation
Cruelty Investigations
The BC SPCA is the only animal
welfare organization in BC with the
authority to investigate complaints of
animal cruelty and to enforce provincial and federal laws that protect
animals from abuse, suffering and
neglect. In 2004 the BC SPCA’s 55
Special Provincial Constables
responded to thousands of situations
of cruelty and abuse and continued a
province-wide crackdown on puppy
mills and unscrupulous breeders in
BC. In 2004, the BC SPCA:
• Investigated more than 8,200
complaints of animal cruelty and
neglect;
• Issued more than 1,000 “orders
for action” to individuals to ensure
better care for their animals;
• Removed 1,087 animals in distress
from abusive or dangerous situations;
• Executed 102 warrants under the
Criminal Code of Canada, the BC
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Act and the Offense Act in
response to cases of suspected
cruelty;
• Submitted 39 charges of animal
cruelty to Crown Counsel for
prosecution (some cases investigated
in 2004 are still in progress and
are awaiting submission to Crown
Counsel);
• Rescued 82 dogs from cars in hot
weather.
Emergency Rescue, Sheltering
and Adoptions
In 2004, the BC SPCA cared for more
than 53,000 abandoned, injured, lost
and abused animals. Our 37 branches
provided emergency rescue, sheltering,
veterinary care, rehabilitation and
adoptions for animals ranging from
dogs, cats and small animals to livestock, primates and birds. In 2004 we:
• Provided emergency shelter and
care for 53,055 animals in need;
• Found new loving homes for
25,617 abandoned, surrendered or
seized animals;
• Reunited thousands of lost animals
with their anxious families;
• Launched the Pet Express, an
animal transport system sponsored
by Petcetera. Two state-of-the-art
transfer vehicles bring animals
from remote and northern areas of
BC to the Lower Mainland where
they have a greater chance of
being adopted;
• Developed new programs to
improve the welfare of shelter
animals, focusing on cat welfare,
dog assessment and training,
adoption matching and postadoption support;
• Introduced Shelter Buddy, a
comprehensive web-based
computer system that will track all
of the Society’s activities,
including adoptions, animal
In 2004 the BC SPCA rescued
4,079 injured and orphaned wild
animals in BC – a substantial
increase over last year’s total of
3,016. More than 1,600 of these
wild animals, including river otters,
seals, deer, raccoons and eagles,
were cared for by wildlife experts at
Wild ARC, the BC SPCA’s wildlife
rehabilitation centre in Metchosin
on Vancouver Island.
Humane Education and Cruelty
Prevention
The BC SPCA offers a wide range of
educational programs which promote
the humane treatment of animals.
Last year, we:
• Launched a province-wide
Kids Club for youth aged 13 and
under. The club engages young
people as ambassadors for animals
in need and provides fun and
educational materials that promote
respect and compassion for
animals, nature and other people;
• Offered hundreds of humane
education presentations for
schools and community groups on
dog bite safety, responsible animal
care, the importance of spaying
and neutering and other aspects of
animal welfare;
• Provided summer day-camps for
more than 600 young people in
the Lower Mainland, Chilliwack,
Comox, Dawson Creek and the
Sunshine Coast;
Pet Express vehicles bring animals from
remote and northern areas of BC to the
Lower Mainland where they have a greater
chance of being adopted.
• Launched Bark! magazine, a kid’s
magazine on animal care and
animal issues. A teacher’s guide
accompanies the magazine and
kids are also sent a monthly
e-newsletter with information on
animal care, news and events;
• Developed three curriculumlinked education units for
intermediate level teachers to
promote the humane treatment of
animals and launched a regular
e-newsletter for teachers updating
them on new humane education
resources and ideas.
• Circulated materials to all BC
school districts alerting teachers
and counsellors about the link
between the abuse of animals and
other forms of domestic violence.
• Created information sheets and
handouts on how to deal with a
wide range of pet behaviour issues.
These resources are available on
the BC SPCA website and at
shelters.
Emergency Veterinary Care
and Spay/Neuter Services
The BC SPCA provides emergency
and veterinary care for thousands of
homeless and abused animals, helps
reduce pet overpopulation and offers
charitable medical services for pets of
low-income residents. In 2004, the
BC SPCA:
• Provided emergency care,
spay/neuter operations, and general
veterinary care for hundreds of
homeless and owned animals at
the BC SPCA Hospital in
Vancouver. Charitable services
were provided for many lowincome residents, including 243
free spay/neuter operations for
pets of low-income residents in
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside;
• Laid the groundwork for a new
spay/neuter clinic in Prince
George, which will open in the
summer of 2005. The clinic will
perform more than 4,000
spay/neuter operations each year
(primarily for shelter animals) and
•
•
•
•
•
will offer affordable spay/neuter
services for pets of local residents
and First Nations communities;
Held a feral cat spay/neuter clinic,
which offered free sterilization,
tattoo identification and medical
examinations and treatment. (Feral
cats have been abandoned by their
guardians and live wild.);
Opened a cat care facility, in
collaboration with Corrections
Canada, at the Chilliwack
Community Corrections Centre
to accommodate and socialize cats
being transferred from overcrowded
northern and interior shelters;
Helped 4,889 low-income
residents care for their animals
through Charlie’s Food Bank in
Vancouver and launched similar
pet food bank programs in
Kamloops and Penticton;
Offered three rabies vaccination
clinics for low-income residents in
Vancouver following a rabies scare
in the Lower Mainland;
Worked with the UBC Animal
Welfare Program to assist students
doing research on shelter animal
welfare.
Protecting Farm Animals
While most people think of cats and
dogs when they think of the BC SPCA,
the Society also works hard to promote the welfare of more than 20 million farm animals in BC. In 2004, we:
• Carried out extensive work on
SPCA Certified, a labelling
program that assures consumers
that the products they choose have
been raised according to SPCAapproved welfare standards. In
addition to producers of poultry
and eggs, the program added its
first beef farmer last year – Painted
River Farm in Surrey;
• Organized tours for school groups
at an SPCA Certified farm to help
young people learn about humane
farming methods and the
differences that can be made
through informed and humane
consumer choices;
• Launched FarmSense, a regular
e-newsletter for individuals
interested in the humane
treatment of farm animals;
• Participated in a national
program to help improve barn
fire prevention;
• Attended numerous agricultural
shows to promote farm animal
welfare.
Advocacy and Communications
In 2004 the BC SPCA worked hard
to promote animal welfare through
its communications and advocacy
efforts. Last year, we:
• Continued to lobby the federal
government for increased
penalties for those who inflict
cruelty on animals;
• Lobbied for humane and
effective approaches to address
the issue of dangerous dogs in
communities;
• Distributed news releases and
public service announcements to
promote the humane treatment
of animals;
• Worked to promote a high level
of animal welfare in pet stores;
• Distributed BC SPCA adoption
ads to television and cable
stations. The ads, created on a
pro bono basis for the SPCA by
DDB Canada, won numerous
awards in 2004, including an
international Cannes Festival
award.
• Issued a monthly e-newsletter,
Anim@ls to 3,671 subscribers on
advocacy issues, news and events.
Volunteer Activities
The BC SPCA could not carry out
its mission without the compassionate and dedicated volunteers who
help animals in need through handson care in our shelters and through
a wide range of programs that
promote animal welfare in their
communities. In 2004 the provincial
Volunteer Resources Committee
developed a new Volunteer Manual
and Foster Orientation Manual to
provide support for the more than
4,000 individuals who donated
thousands of hours for activities
ranging from dog walking, cat care
and fostering to special events,
advocacy, fundraising and adoption
awareness. While all of our volunteers are special, the Society honoured two individuals in particular
in 2004. Janet Shaw of the Surrey
Branch and Erin Hay of the South
Peace Branch in Dawson Creek
were named as the 2004 Volunteers
of the Year for their outstanding
contributions to animals in need.
Website
The BC SPCA website continued
to draw a record number of users in
2004. The site attracted 119, 707,
693 hits last year (1,451,391 visits),
doubling the 2003 total. The website was completely redesigned and
updated in 2004 and includes a vast
range of information on animal
care, advocacy initiatives, SPCA
programs, events and activities as
well as photos and information on
animals available for adoption in all
of our branches around BC.
Raising Funds to Help
the Animals
The BC SPCA is not a governmentfunded agency and relies on
donations and grants from
individuals, businesses and
foundations to fund the extensive
services provided for animals in
need throughout the province.
In 2004 we:
• Received over $4.5 million in
bequests to help animals in
distress. More than 1,400
individuals have informed the
Society that they have left a gift
in their will to support our
programs and services;
• Added 1,090 new supporters to
our monthly PAW (Pre-authorized
Withdrawal) program, which
raised $1.2 million;
• Generated $1.3 million through
our direct mail program and
added 10,000 first-time donors;
• Held our signature special
event, Paws for a Cause… Walk
for the Animals in 32 communities
around BC in September. More
than $330,000 was raised – a 65
per cent increase over 2003.
• Launched the Biscuit Fund, an
emergency medical fund for
homeless animals in our care.
The response was phenomenal
– more than $60,000 was raised
in the first two months.
• Introduced SHOP SPCA, an
online store with gifts for pets
and their humans. All proceeds
from the online store help
animals in distress.
How your donations are spent
Expenses $19.3 million
Services and Programs for Animals (81%)
Administration of Services (10%)
Sheltering, Cruelty Investigations and Veterinary Care: $12.9 million
$1.9 million
BC SPCA Hospital: $1.7 million
Fundraising (9%)
Humane Education and Advocacy: $830K
$1.8 million
81% Services and
Programs for Animals
9% Fundraising
Volunteer Development: $100K
Farm Animal Welfare: $67K
A 2004 consolidated audited financial statement will be presented to the BC SPCA Annual General Meeting in
June 2005. Copies of the full financial statements will be available following the meeting on our website
(www.spca.bc.ca) or by calling 604-681-7271.
10% Administration of Services
BC SPCA Contributors
$100,000 - $199,999
BMO MasterCard Mosaik
Canadian Petcetera
United Way
$50,000 - $99,999
Anipet Animal Supplies
Vancouver Foundation
$25,000 - $49,999
Alfred Griffiths
Larry and Edith Ward
Telus
$10,000 - $24,999
Canada Safeway Limited
Cliff Jackman
Global TV
Mark Anthony Cellars
Port Coquitlam Animal Hospital
Provincial Employees Fund
Scotiabank
SPCA Kelowna Ladies Auxiliary
The Hydrecs Fund
The Province
TMM Taylor Made Media Ltd.
Vancity Community Foundation
Vantage Direct Marketing Services
$5,000 - $9,999
7-Eleven Canada Inc.
Acclaim Energy Partnership
Bank of Nova Scotia
BMO Fountain of Hope
Bosley’s Pet Food
Central Okanagan Foundation
Family of Six – Shuswap
Ian Harlock
Lake City Investments
Mary Lou Troman
Mountain Trek Fitness Retreat
& Health Spa Ltd.
Mrs. Pam Wheeler
Sears Employees Fund
Shaw Communications Inc.
The Stollery Charitable Foundation
$2,000 - $4,999
Alan Brock & Family
Allison Arato
Bank of Montreal
BC Hydro Employees’ Com.
Services Fund
Bonavista Management Ltd.
Canadian National Railway
Columbia Power Corp.
Community Foundation –
N. Okanagan
Dale & Marlene Campbell
Denis Hartland
Dr. Deborah A. Hallinan
Dr. Suzanne Rozon
Elsie Lorch
EnCana Cares Foundation
Friends of Patrick Fisher
Home Depot
In Memory of Charlotte N. Taylor
Investors Group
James C. Hooks
Kevin Mullen
Margaret R. Grant
Marian Grimwood
Marin Investments Limited
Michitsch Systems Inc.
Nikmac Holdings Inc.
Olga Hancheroff
Pender Animal Welfare Society
Richardson Foods Group
Romany Brenda Runnalls
Rotaract Club of Dawson Creek
Royal Bank of Canada
RSC Production
Shuswap Community Foundation
Surrey Firefighters Charitable
Foundation
VanCity Credit Union
Victoria Foundation
Weyerhaeuser Canada Limited
Z 95.3
$1,000 – $1,999
Ann & George Gough “Dog Gone
Bakery”
Anne Atkinson
Beverley Marlow
Bob & Donna Bray
Craig & Penny Daniell
Daniel J. E. Davies &
Donald A. Boyes
Denise Mara
Dr. Catherine A. Stephenson
Dr. J. Lesperance
Dr. Ken Wagner
Dr. Michael Moscovich
Gail A. Fosbrooke
Georgina Dalton
Grant Roden
Guillermo Schwarz
Hank & Jean Dann
In Memory of Angela Thacker
Jacqueline Somerville
Jacquelyn M. Ouellette
Jean & Peter Martin
Ketty & Phil Hughes
Lorie Chortyk
Margaret
Margo Fowler
Maureen A. Thackray
Michael Cunningham
Mona I. Hunter
Mr. Clive Piercy
Mr. Lee Chapman/Prudential
Sussex Reality
Mrs. Eleanor Rix
Mrs. Pauline F. Main
Murray Hoban
Paula, Naomi & Eman Khan
Peter & Susan de Wolf
Peter Lauder Oakley
Phil Koester
Ralph and Dorothy Belfry
Rena Mae James
Rogers’ Family Charitable Trust
Tina Heary
Tundra Distributors Ltd.
Walter & Charlotte Clarke
West Kootenay Innovators
Magazine
Yvonne Morrison
$500 - $999
A. E. McLeod
A. Jill Gibson
Abbotsford Nissan
Adele Runikis
Alec W. Watt
Allan Andrychuk
Annabelle H. Ternent
Argatoff Family
B. Wilkinson
Barb Drummond
Barbra Sundquist
Barrie E. Gabie
Ben Moxon
Betty-Jo Weaver
Bill & Ruby Reid
Bob & Karen Lannan
Bob Mills
Brent and Laurie Erickson & Family
C. Dulian
Campbell River Professional
Firefighters - I.A.F.F. 1668
Canadianized Asian Club (SFU)
Carla Maruyama
Cecile Anctil
Charlene Dorward
Charles E. Walker
Cheryl Jewhurst
Christina H. Lindsay
Christopher Lambert
Claudia & Randy Findlay
Claudia Schwarz
Cornelia J. Out
Cort Wylie
Dana Hunter
Dawn Dunphy
Deanna Hutchison
Delores & Wayne Plenert
Dennis & Ann Bater
Derek and Kelly Hicks
Dina Kotler
Donald Loewen & Louise Neveu
Dorothy E. Brown
Dosie and Jim Crawford
Doug & Lillian Grainger
Doug Farmer
Doug Robert
Dr. K. Nickel
Dr. Nina Blinkhorn
Dr. Patricia Mark
Dr. Sandy Quek
Edna Plaxton
Elizabeth Burne
Elizabeth D. McGregor
Elizabeth Law
Florence Andrews
Floyd Murphy
Garry and Bev Myers
George Pruin
Gordon Bell
Hazel Merry
Ida Templeton
In Memory of Alberta Blanchard
Irene Horne
J. Conn
J. Gallie
Jane & Paul Robinson
Janett Kemp
Jason & Carol Semeniuk
Jennifer Bernardy
Jennifer Lynch
Jim Armstrong
Jin-Di
Joan Lamb
Joan Oman
John A. Eckersley
John Lisle Fraser
John Townsen
Joseph & Elizabeth Jarvis
Kathleen Bennett & Family
Kathleen Maw
Kim Munro
Kimberly Foley
Laura, Jonathan & Beth Dennis
Laurie Kent
In 2004 the BC SPCA gratefully received over 143,000
gifts from 57,000 donors. We acknowledge above,
with appreciation, the support of those individuals and
organizations that gave $500 or more to the Society.
Leila Vennewitz
Les and Ann Eley
Li Read
Lind Creek Ranch
Lorraine E. Stewart
Lynn Parsons
M.A. Burkhart
Marilyn D. Willman
Mary Lou Booth
Mary Lynn Stewart
Mary Lynn White
Mary-Jo Dionne
Mavis & Lloyd Creech
Mel Gerein
Michelle Easterbrook
Morris & Judy Alger
Mountain Trout Sales
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas R. Walker
Mr. Ian & Mrs. Sharon Legge
Mrs. Arlene Nikiforuk
Mrs. Irene Garnett
Mrs. Irene Horsford
Mrs. Rose Marion
Mrs. Shirley Le Blanc
Mrs. Yoshiko M. Koyanagi
Nancy Wynes
Pat Mitchell
Peggy Gilmour
Philip & Christine Grigg
R&G Taylor Ex. Ltd
Ramon Lingenfelter
Rhonda Fletcher
Rick Hunter
Rita M. Lock
Robert William Biller
Rochelle Moss
Rosalie Walls & Kathy Simas
Rudi & Sylvia Hoenson
Russell & Allison Ritchie
Ruth Brill
S. Taylor
Sheri Grantham
Shirley Innes
Simon Trevelyan
Stephen Richards and Linda Loo
T. J. Killoran
Ted & Ann Taylor
Terry & Madelon Anderson
The Customers of Giesbrecht’s
Tree Farm
The late Valerie Laurence
Tracy Charlton
Warren & Joanna Bell
Wes Schreiber
Zane Jacobsen
appliedKnowledge
catSense
Pit Bull-specific legislation
not supported by science
Scratching the
(right) surface
by Anna MacNeil-Allcock
by Nadine Gourkow
WHEN LOOKING AT AN ISSUE
such as whether Pit Bulls should be
banned by legislation because of their
inherent aggression, it is important to
step back and examine if there is
evidence to support the claim.
Unfortunately, there is little scientific
research on whether Pit Bulls are
actually more aggressive than other
breeds of dogs.
Seeing this gap, a student from the
Animal Welfare Program at UBC
conducted a research project at the
BC SPCA’s Vancouver Shelter to
determine if Pit Bulls were more
aggressive than other dogs.
The study separated dogs into
breed groups. The study calculated
how many dogs of each group were
aggressive at the shelter, returned by
guardians for aggressive behaviour,
and finally, which dogs exhibited
aggressive behaviour in their adoptive
homes. The intensity of aggression
was also measured in individual dogs
to determine if Pit Bulls displayed
aggression to a stronger degree.
Information about the adopters of
these breeds was collected and the
quality of the adoptive environment
was assessed.
What was discovered was that in
all situations, Pit Bulls were not more
aggressive than other breeds of shelter dogs. In fact, significantly fewer
Pit Bulls were returned for aggressive
behaviour. Home assessments
determined that the Pit Bulls
were provided with a level of
companionship, exercise
and meaningful interaction
sufficient to conclude
that they had diligent
guardians and a very
good quality of life.
In fact, the Pit
Bulls were signifi-
cantly more likely to be allowed to
“sleep on the bed.”
The findings beg the question: if a
Pit Bull is aggressive, is it due to
genetics or environment? If Pit Bulls
were genetically aggressive, we would
expect to see aggressive behaviour in
all members of the breed – even those
who were raised in a good environment. This was not the case.
While additional research is necessary, this Pit Bull study suggests that
if we are to create sound social policy
to protect the public it needs to be
based on sound animal welfare
science and not on media driven
accounts. After all, breed specific
legislation is only effective if aggressive tendencies are genetic. Otherwise, legislation targeting responsible
guardianship is a more effective
approach. ■
appliedKnowledge was written by Anna MacNeilAllcock, a recent graduate of the Animal Welfare
program at UBC. Dr. David Fraser heads the
Animal Welfare Program at UBC and is currently
on a one-year sabbatical. The Animal Welfare program, initiated by the BC SPCA in 1997, identifies
solutions to animal welfare problems and encourages
the application of the most up-to-date techniques for
humane treatment of farm, wild and companion
animals.
HOW DO YOU STOP YOUR CAT
from scratching your favourite chair?
To answer this question it helps to
understand why cats scratch. Cats
scratch while stretching after waking
or when moving into a familiar room.
Some do it more than others. When
scratching a surface, cats leave both
visual claw markings and scent markings from glands in the paws. The
action also helps to shed the old top
layer of the claw, exposing the sharp
new claw underneath. Contrary to
what many think, scratching does not
indicate territory boundary, rather it
is meant to be like a business card for
other cats “This is who I am and
where I hang out.”
To prevent your cat from adopting
a piece of furniture, wall or door
frame to satisfy the urge to scratch,
provide an appropriate scratch post
with various textures such as carpet,
sisal rope and soft wood. Since cats
scratch after a sleep or in combination with rubbing, place the scratching post near the sleeping area or
continued on page 20
Spring/Summer 2005 •
AnimalSense
19
catSense
continued from page 19
favourite rubbing place. Entice your
cat to use the scratch post with play,
scent, or by using a reward system.
Wiggle a string on it, rub a few drops
of liquid catnip or try the Pavlov’s
Cat Scratch Feeder – a scratching
post that drops food treats when
scratched. Once the post has scratch
marks and scent, the cat will always
return to it.
If your cat has already scratched a
piece of furniture, you can temporarily move it and replace it with a
scratching post. You can move the
post to a different location once the
cat has marked it. If your cat scratches
walls, use a wall-mounted scratch
post.
For some cats, you need a deterrent. Simple deterrents include covering the area with double-sided sticky
tape or aluminum foil. For more
stubborn cats, consider Multivet’s
SSSCAT device which has a sensor
that delivers a puff of air when the cat
approaches the forbidden area.
Regardless of the method, the goal
is to make scratching in the unwanted
location unpleasant while providing a
pleasant scratching area. ■
Nadine Gourkow is the BC SPCA’s manager of
animal welfare.
dogSense
Is your dog a threat?
by Stanley Coren
PHOTO: LIONEL TRUDEL
THE MAJOR PROBLEM WITH
dog aggression is that people don’t
want to see it, nor do they want to
believe that it exists in their dog. So
they ignore it, convince themselves
that it really isn’t there, or explain it
away when biting, snapping or growling happens. They use phrases like
“He was just playing,” “He’s young
and he’ll grow out of it,” “It was an
accident,” or “He isn’t like that usually.” Do you ever hear yourself saying
that about your dog?
Psychologists call this process
denial. Unfortunately denial simply
delays treatment and all the while the
problem may be getting more serious.
Your first task then, is to determine if you are living with an aggressive dog. Answer the following
questions, and
be absolutely
honest with
yourself
when you
do.
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AnimalSense • Spring/Summer 2005
Do you avoid doing certain things
with your dog because when you do
your dog growls or shows his teeth?
For example, are you hesitant about
approaching your dog while he is eating, or uncomfortable asking him to
get off of the couch or bed?
Have you ever felt insecure around
your dog? For instance has he made
you nervous because he seems to be
trying to stare you down with a hardfixed, glassy-eyed gaze, while his
body may be stiff and erect, with his
tail up and fur on the shoulders
(hackles) raised?
Do you believe that your dog is
safe except around a particular group
of people such as children, or men, or
people with hats, canes, umbrellas,
crutches or such like?
Has your dog ever bitten someone
hard enough to actually break their
skin?
If you answered yes to one or more
of these questions you may have a
potentially aggressive dog.
There are far too many reasons for a dog to be aggressive than there is space
to cover here, so
let’s talk about
some that are
quite common.
An important
one is insufficient
social experience. A dog that has had
few opportunities to interact with
other dogs and people as a puppy may
become fearful and aggressive toward
strangers as an adult.
Another possible source of aggression is unwitting encouragement
from guardians. Many people don’t
realize that if they try to soothe and
reassure their dog when he gets belligerent, they are actually rewarding
the behavior.
Also when guardians back off at
any sign of aggression toward themselves, they are teaching the dog that
he is in charge.
What do you do, then?
First, punishment doesn’t work for
aggressive behavior, and it may actually escalate the danger level. Your
first line of defense is to put the dog
into a basic dog obedience class.
Early signs of aggression are usually
easy to deal with, but the older a dog
gets, the less likely you will be able to
cure or even control it. Denial and
delay can seal your dog’s fate – or
someone else’s if they are the target
of his aggression. ■
Stanley Coren is a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and author of many
books on dogs including Why We Love the Dogs
We Do, How to Speak Dog and How Dogs
Think. His website is www.stanleycoren.com.
HAPPY ENDINGS
BONNIE
ON NOVEMBER 1, 2004, ROB
Landa, a kayak guide from Tofino, was
in Vancouver on his way to visit
friends in Saskatchewan when he
decided to take his white German
Shepherd, Bonnie, for a run. As the
two played near the beach at Spanish
Banks, a string of firecrackers suddenly
exploded nearby, causing Bonnie to
bolt in fear and disappear into a nearby
wooded area. Rob delayed his trip for
five days frantically searching for his
beloved dog, but when his search
turned up no sign of Bonnie, he had
no choice but to leave Vancouver
without her.
Shortly after, the SPCA began
receiving a steady stream of calls about a white dog running loose in Pacific Spirit Park near UBC. “Many local
residents tried to befriend and catch her, but she was very
timid and ran away whenever she was approached,” says
Vancouver SPCA worker Kim Monteith. Kim and other
SPCA staff members made numerous trips to the park
over the next few months to try and rescue the mysterious
white dog; on their days off and at nights as well as during
their shifts. “So many people tried to help her – leaving
food, setting out humane traps, but nothing worked.” On
March 31, 2005, five months after Bonnie went missing,
the SPCA received a call about an injured dog near UBC.
“From the description we knew right away it was the dog
we had been trying to help,” says Kim.
Bonnie was rushed to the hospital, where she was treated
for a compound fracture on her front leg, likely the result
of being hit by a car. Through an identification tattoo in
Bonnie’s ear, the SPCA was able to contact Rob, who
immediately rushed from Vancouver Island to the SPCA
Animal Hospital for a joyous reunion. “They were ecstatic
to see one another,” says Kim. “After months of trying to
rescue Bonnie, it was wonderful to find her guardian and
help bring them back together.”
container,” recalls animal protection officer Jeanette
McKnight. When they climbed up and unsealed the container, they discovered a beautiful orange cat wedged in a
tiny space near the top of the container.
“We don’t know how this poor cat ended up in a
transport container, but he had been in transit for four
to five days and was definitely glad to see us. He was a
bit dehydrated, but was purring loudly, desperate for
attention.” After a visit to a veterinarian to make sure he
had not suffered any ill effects from his travels, Gypsy
was taken to the Coquitlam SPCA shelter where he
quickly won the hearts of the staff and volunteers. The
Coquitlam SPCA contacted humane societies in Michigan
to see if anyone was looking for Gypsy, but when no
leads turned up, the resilient traveller was adopted into a
new, loving home in the Lower Mainland. ■
GYPSY
IN FEBRUARY 2005, A STAFF MEMBER WORKING
the night shift at the Sears Warehouse in Coquitlam was
surprised to hear sounds coming from a sealed transport
container that had arrived in Canada earlier in the day
from Holland, Michigan. “He called the SPCA because
he was sure he could hear meowing coming from the
Spring/Summer 2005 •
AnimalSense
21
PULLING IN A
NEW DIRECTION
Alternative, humane collars counter the pulling dog
WE’VE ALL SEEN IT – A PERSON
being pulled down the street by a
powerful dog determined to follow a
scent trail. What should be an
enjoyable outing with a pet becomes
a frustrating struggle. In the past,
choke collars were the common
anti-pulling device used by dog
guardians. Unfortunately the choke
collar, like the prong and shock collars, can seriously harm your dog if
used improperly. Because these
devices use pain as the deterrent to
22
AnimalSense • Spring/Summer 2005
pulling, they may also interfere with
your efforts to create a positive relationship between you and your dog.
Thankfully, there is now an array
of anti-pull devices that are safe,
humane and effective for preventing
dogs from pulling. When used in
conjunction with positive reinforcement techniques, you may find that
pulling can become a thing of the
past with your dog.
The devices fall into two broad
categories: head halters and over-theshoulder devices (not to be confused
with harnesses). Both styles are
highly effective.
Manufactures’ designs vary, but
generally head halters have a strap
that goes across the dog’s nose, with
connecting straps that go along the
dog’s face. These straps fasten to a
loop either around the dog’s neck or
under the dog’s chin. The halter
adjusts to fit snugly and guides the
dog in the direction you want him
to go. If he pulls, the straps tighten,
putting gentle pressure along the
dog’s face while also steering the dog’s
head in the direction you want him to
follow. While to some it might appear
the dog is wearing a muzzle, it is not
– the dog is able to pant, eat, drink
and act normally in every way.
The over-the-shoulder devices use
a similar principle of applying pressure
to deter pulling. Unlike a conventional
harness, which has fixed straps, these
anti-pulling devices have straps that
run under the front legs which tighten
and loosen across the dog’s chest as he
pulls. The increased pressure across
the shoulders and ribcage causes the
dog to stop pulling and move in the
desired direction.
Both of these new designs are highly
effective in preventing pulling and are
much preferable to choke chains,
prong and shock collars. You can
purchase head halters directly from
Shop SPCA and review detailed information with more photos of humane
collars at www.spca.bc.ca. ■
Vancity Community Foundation Supports Kids Club
From Brianna in Fort St. John to
Nicholas in Castlegar, Nathan in
Prince George to Emma in Campbell
River, nearly 1,000 BC SPCA Kids
Club members are learning and making a difference for animals across
BC. “Wow, this is really cool,”
exclaims Holly Easterbook from
Richmond upon receiving her Kids
Club kit complete with personalized
membership card.
The Kids Club is a way for kids
under 13 to get involved in learning
about and helping animals. “The goal
is for kids to learn early on in their
lives the importance of responsible
animal care and having respectful,
compassionate attitudes toward
animals,” says Craig Naherniak,
general manager of humane education. “The kids involve the whole
family in raising the level of animal
care for their pets and encouraging
others in the community to help
animals.” Because of the focus on kids
and animals, the Vancity Community
Foundation (through the Leo and
Frances Longo Fund) contributed a
$15,000 grant toward the establishment of the Club.
As the Kids Club program grows
there will be a focus on establishing
animal clubs in schools and through
SPCA Branches.
For the annual $15 membership
fee kids receive a membership package with a special gift, monthly
n
o
LemID
A nimals
newsletters by email, Bark! magazine
twice a year, and special campaign
packages on animal welfare topics. To
sign up kids or more information visit
www.spca.bc.ca or e-mail Iris Ting at
kids@spca.bc.ca. ■
Holly Easterbrook, age 9, going through
her SPCA Kids Club kit.
Below: Ali Dennis (centre) and her
friends Ali (left) and Madeline (right)
being interviewed by SPCA Education
Coordinator Iris Ting while dogs Haley
and Lassie keep watch.
Kids Club Members Helping Animals
“We all really love animals and feel bad for the animals at the shelter,” says 10-year old
Ali Dennis. To help, Ali and her brother Will, with friends Madeline, Jack and Ali, set up a
lemonade stand and bake sale this past summer to raise money to help the animals.
“It’s not right that people leave the animals and don’t want them,” says Ali Dennis when
asked why she chose to support the SPCA. “We raised $35.58 and donated it to the BC SPCA.” Ali
and her group weren’t through yet. They felt they could do more.
The following November, the group came together with a new idea to support the SPCA. Ali decided that in lieu
of birthday gifts, she would ask her guests to make donations to the SPCA. The group raised $300 for the BC SPCA Biscuit Fund. “It feels
really good to support the SPCA and it wasn’t difficult to do the things we did. We all have so much already, we don’t need anymore stuff.”
Ali and her friends are shining examples of what a few people can do to make a difference for animals and are
recognized on the kids section of the SPCA website as earning High Paws for helping animals.
A
for
Spring/Summer 2005 •
AnimalSense
23
Paws for a Cause…Walk for the Animals –
September 11th, 2005* in 36 communities in BC
. . . and coming online to a computer near you May 1st!
Winston, Team EA** Beagle is looking forward to going
online May 1st to help Electronic Arts raise more funds
for the animals during Paws for a Cause…Walk for the animals.
That’s Nickie, his guardian helping out.
“Fundraising online is the way to go,” says Winston!
Click with your pet &
help the animals!
www.spca.bc.ca/walk
Top 10 reasons to fundraise online for Paws for a Cause…Walk for the animals
1. You can fundraise with your best friend beside you
2. You can personalize your email with a cute photo
3. Your sponsors get an instant charitable tax receipt and thank you
4. Fewer administration costs – more money goes to help the animals
5. Less paperwork – it’s good for the environment
6. You can reach out to more family, friends and co-workers
7. Your average pledge will be higher
8. You and your team can win great prizes
9. It’s easy
10. It works!
Thank you to our sponsors:
For more information call: 1-800-665-1868 or email: donations@spca.bc.ca
* some dates may vary
** Team EA was the top
corporate team for Paws
for a Cause 04!