The Plight of the Unwanted Horse

VOL. 27 • NO. 1 • WINTER/SPRING 2007
The Plight of
the Unwanted
Horse
The Alberta SPCA sponsors the Fred
Pearce Memorial Lecture at the Horse
Breeders and Owners Conference, held
every January in Red Deer. This lecture
addresses topics of direct relevance
to the humane and ethical treatment
and use of horses. This year’s Fred
Pearce Memorial Speaker was Nat
Messer, Associate Professor of Equine
Medicine and Surgery at the University
of Missouri-Columbia. His presentation
drew on his vast experience in equine
welfare. This is an excerpt from his
January 14th presentation.
“Unwanted horses” refer to those
horses no longer needed or useful, or
whose owners are no longer interested
in – or capable of – providing care
for them. Most unwanted horses will
likely be sent to slaughter with fewer
numbers being euthanatized and
disposed of through rendering, and
Building
Compassionate
Communities
some simply abandoned and left to die
of natural causes. Unwanted horses
range from being essentially normal,
healthy horses of varying ages and
breeds to horses with some type of
disability or infirmity; horses that are
unattractive; horses that fail to meet
their owner’s expectations for their
intended use (e.g., athletic ability);
horses with non-life-threatening
diseases; horses that have behavioural
problems; or horses that are truly mean
or dangerous. In many cases, these
horses have had multiple owners, have
been shipped from one sale barn,
stable, or farm to another, and have
ultimately been rejected as eligible for
any sort of responsible, long-term care.
To their credit, various equine
welfare organizations and other
groups have made a conscientious
and concerted effort to provide care
for unwanted horses or find suitable
accommodations for them. These
efforts presumably account for some
of the decrease in the number of
horses being sent to slaughter over
Eighty participants from 30 animal
welfare organizations throughout
Alberta and beyond gathered in the
Rockies last fall to share information
and learn from internationally
renowned speakers – and each
other. The Alberta SPCA’s Building
Compassionate Communities
conference provided a chance for front
line workers to share experiences,
discuss common issues and hear from
experts in the animal sheltering,
fundraising and humane education
fields.
The conference, the fourth annual
event put on by the Alberta SPCA’s
Education Department was held in
Canmore on October 16 & 17, 2006.
In addition to the conference sessions,
participants had a chance to tour the Bow
Valley SPCA’s new adoption centre.
Two of the speakers came from the
United States. Kit Jenkins, who appeared
through the generous
support of PetSmart
Charities (who also
sponsored some of the
conference costs), shared
some of her knowledge
gained through 25 years
in the animal sheltering
world. Her session on
Kit Jenkins
Continued on page 2
Continued on page 3
A peek
inside...
Animal Protection
Department News
Education
Update
In Loving
Memory
p. 4
p. 7
p. 7
AnimalKind
Building Compassionate Communities – Continued from page 1
grant writing started the conference
on an important and practical note,
since applying for grants is a big part
of any humane society. Her practical
advice helped take some of the mystery
out of the grant application process,
and incorporated information from
Alberta’s Wild Rose Foundation. In a
second session, Kit described ways to
identify and reduce stress for animals
in shelter environments. As she pointed
out, this can be as simple as adding
suitable toys for the animals to play
with.
Michael Arms, Director of the
Helen Woodward Animal Center,
joined us from California. As the
originator of the International Pet
Adoptathon, he has helped find home
for thousands of orphaned animals.
His advice for increasing adoptions by
taking a more businesslike approach
was well-received by the audience. His
personal stories evoked an emotional
response as he demonstrated that to
change people’s attitudes one needs
to touch their hearts. As one of the
participants said afterwards, “His
presentation just changed my life
AnimalKind
is published by the Alberta Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
President: James Arends
Executive Director: Terra Johnston
Managing Editor: Tim Battle
Opinions expressed in AnimalKind are not
necessarily those of the Alberta SPCA. To
find out more about the work we do for
animals across Alberta, visit our website at:
www.albertaspca.org
Our Mission Statement
The mission of the Alberta SPCA is to have
every animal in Alberta humanely treated.
To accomplish this, there must be
acceptance that humans are responsible
for the welfare of animals; and there must
be an understanding of the physical and
behavioural needs of animals.
PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO.
40065555 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE
CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO THE ALBERTA
SPCA
10806-124 Street, Edmonton, AB
T5M 0H3
Phone: (780) 447-3600
Fax: (780) 447-4748
email: info@albertaspca.org
and my way of thinking about animal
shelters.”
Not all the knowledge was
imported, however – there are plenty
of experts here at home who were
willing to share
what they know.
Award winning
teacher Judith
Snowdon shared
her observations of
humane education
over the years,
and Steve Carroll,
Judi Snowdon
the new head of
the Canadian Federation of Humane
Societies, gave an update on the
attempts to amend the 115-year-old
animal cruelty section of the Criminal
Code of Canada. Representatives from
the Calgary Humane Society, Cochrane
Humane Society and the Bow Valley
SPCA shared their experiences of
getting new shelters built. As the
three groups’ facilities were all at
different stages (Calgary’s new $10
million state-of-the-art shelter opened
earlier in the year, Bow Valley’s nocage, no-kill adoption centre was just
about finished, and the Cochrane
shelter’s construction had just gotten
underway), participants received up-tothe-minute reports of recently learned
lessons about capital fundraising
campaigns, land acquisition, design
and construction.
Feedback from the participants
overwhelmingly demonstrated that
the conference provided a vital source
of information and networking
opportunities to those who work hard
to help animals in isolated parts of
the province. One participant stated
in the conference evaluation: “Thank
you so much for the opportunity to
participate in this conference. I learned
so much from the speakers and the
other participants.” Another noted,
“Networking with all the groups
involved in this conference is worth
its weight in gold. I really like how
everyone agrees how important it is to
work together.”
Conference organizer Tim Battle
was pleased with the response. “While
we at the Alberta SPCA don’t operate
an animal shelter ourselves, as a
province-wide organization we have
the organizational capacity to support
the municipal-based humane societies
through an event such as this” he said.
“We called it Building Compassionate
Communities because that’s what these
dedicated people are doing – they’re
not just building animal shelters,
they’re encouraging a sense of caring
for animals in their towns. Holding
a conference for these groups is one
way we can work toward our mission
of having every animal in Alberta
humanely treated.”
Participants in the Building Compassionate
Communities conference
Eighty animal welfare professionals from
Alberta and beyond participated in the Building
Compassionate Communities conference. Here
are the groups who were represented:
Alberta Agriculture and Food
Alberta SPCA
Beaufort Delta Regional SPCA, Inuvik
Best Friends Animal Society, Kanab, Utah
Bow Valley SPCA, Canmore
Brooks Animal Protection Society
Calgary Humane Society
Canadian Federation of Humane Societies,
Ottawa
Cochrane Humane Society
Fort McMurray SPCA
Grande Prairie & District SPCA
Helen Woodward Animal Center,
Rancho Santa Fe, California
Hinton & District SPCA
Lakeland Humane Society, Cold Lake
Lloydminster & District SPCA
Medicine Hat SPCA
Meow Foundation, Calgary
NOKA – No Kill Alliance, Lethbridge
Northwest Territories SPCA, Yellowknife
PetLynx, Calgary
Pets for Life Foundation, Calgary
PetSmart Charities and PetSmart Charities
of Canada, Phoenix Arizona
Pincher Creek Humane Society
Pincher Creek Veterinary Clinic
Portage Animal Welfare Society,
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
Red Deer & District SPCA
Saskatchewan SPCA, Saskatoon
Saskatoon SPCA
Shadowbar Shepherds, Crowsnest Pass
St. Paul Animal Shelter
The Plight of the Unwanted Horse – Continued from page 1
Dr. Nat Messer addressed over 800
participants at the Annual Horse
Breeders and Owners Conference
the past five to 10 years. Other
factors responsible for this decrease
include widespread efforts to inform
the public about the plight of the
unwanted horse, slaughter plant
closures, changes to the tax code, and
a relatively high demand for horses
by prospective buyers. The carrying
capacity for retirement and rescue
farms is unknown at this point but
despite their efforts, the number
of unwanted horses far exceeds
the resources currently available to
accommodate them all. Even wellmeaning volunteers can become
overburdened with unwanted horses,
at times to the detriment of the
horses under their care. There simply
are not enough volunteers, funds, or
placement opportunities for all of the
unwanted horses.
Why are there so many apparently
unwanted horses? Is there, as some
would suggest, a glut of horses? Was
there a larger glut of horses when
200,000 to 300,000 horses were
being sent to slaughter in the early
1990s? For the past five to 10 years,
the demand for horses has been very
good. Over the years, however, this
demand has certainly run in cycles
that frequently follow other economic
trends. In general when the demand
for horses is low, the number of
unwanted horses increases – regardless
of what their bloodlines may be.
Recent changes in various breed
organizations’ rules, such as permitting
the use of embryo transfer and frozen
to veterinarians, farriers, and horse
semen, have favored the production of
industry professionals all tells me
horses. This allows breeders to produce
that this isn’t only a South Carolina
more than one offspring per year from
problem.” Neglect of horses takes
mares, and to more efficiently select
many forms and is due to a variety of
for horses with desirable bloodlines or
factors. Could this upsurge in neglect
performance records. New technology
be entirely due to an increasing
will further facilitate this practice in
number of uninformed horse owners
the future. Unfortunately, even with
unfamiliar with the proper care of
the help of technological advances,
horses, or is it due to economic
not every mating will produce a horse
constraints created by the downturn in
that meets the expectations of a buyer.
the economy since 9/11? Or perhaps
For those in the business of breeding
it could be due to the unavailability of
and raising horses, an unsold horse
affordable ways to responsibly dispose
becomes a liability rather than an asset.
of unwanted horses brought about by
According to United States
regulations prohibiting burial of animal
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
carcasses in some locales. Maybe
statistics, the horses going to slaughter
it’s because of costs associated with
basically follow the demographics
veterinary euthanasia and disposal by
of the horse population
cremation, “digestion”
in general, i.e., nearly
or rendering, or because
Why are there so
equal numbers of mares
there are fewer slaughter
many apparently
and geldings, primarily
plants processing horses
unwanted horses?
Quarter Horses followed
for human consumption.
by the other breeds
All of these factors must
ranked in order of their
be considered when faced
relative numbers in the general horse
with such a large number of unwanted
population. There are undocumented
horses and what should be done
estimates suggesting that less than
with them, always ensuring they are
10% of the horses that go to slaughter
treated humanely and with dignity until
are Thoroughbreds, but just how many
the end of their lives. It is important
of the more than 100,000 horses that
for all of us to remember that, in all
went to slaughter last year in the US
likelihood, it only matters to us, and
and Canada were former racehorses?
not the horse, what happens to them
What is the average age and sex of
after they are gone.
those unwanted horses? What are the
Fortunately, the American
types of things that cause them to be
Association of Equine Practitioners
unwanted? Are they purebred or grade
(AAEP) initiated discussions on the
horses? Answers to these questions
plight of the unwanted horse in
and more need to be addressed in
2004 by sponsoring an Unwanted
order to understand the problem and
Horse Summit in Washington, DC.
consequently reduce the number of
In attendance were representatives
unwanted horses.
from AAEP, the horse industry, breed
Whenever there are large numbers
organizations, animal welfare advocacy
of unwanted horses as there are
groups and the USDA and Congress.
today, there is always concern for the
From that Summit was formed the
welfare of these horses. According to
Unwanted Horse Coalition, which was
Rebecca M. Gimenez, PhD, a member
recently “adopted” by the American
of the advisory board of the South
Horse Council who will oversee
Carolina Awareness and Rescue for
initiatives to identify solution to the
Equines organization, in a letter to
problem. It will be through these sorts
the editor in the April 2004 issue
of discussions that a solution will be
of The Horse Magazine: “We have
found to address the needs of the
seen a huge upsurge in abuse and
unwanted horse – not by passing some
neglect cases over the last three years
ill-conceived legislation before there is
in our state alone.” She goes on to
a way to care for so many unwanted
say “looking on the web and talking
horses.
AnimalKind
FROM OUR LEGAL FILES...
$6000 fine for neglecting
birthing cows
In March 2006 we received a call
reporting concerns about a herd
of cattle in southern Alberta with
inadequate feed available. The caller
also reported a number of very weak
and dying cows. Upon attending the
property with a registered veterinarian,
our officer found about 50 head of
cattle, including several birthing cows
left unattended. Three of the cows
were experiencing calving difficulties;
the cows were examined and
eventually euthanized by the attending
veterinarian. There were also two dead
cows which appeared to have died as a
result of difficult birthing. Many of the
remaining live cattle were in poor to
very poor body condition.
On June 15, 2006, Douglas H.
Zorn of Medicine Hat appeared in
Medicine Hat Provincial Court and pled
guilty to a charge under Section 2 (1)
of the Animal Protection Act. The judge
ordered him to pay a fine of $6000
and ordered a lifetime prohibition from
owning cattle. The judge also granted
an order for the Alberta SPCA to have
access to his property without warrant
to inspect his horses.
The remaining herd was sold right
after our initiating the investigation.
There was a gradual recovery of the
herd condition after the new owner
took ownership.
remaining two recovered with proper
treatment and have since been placed
with new owners. The other horses
included one that was blind from an
untreated eye disease and another with
an untreated wound on her leg causing
significant lameness.
A court order requires Carter
to provide bimonthly reports to the
Alberta SPCA listing the animals under
her care or custody, and must allow
Alberta SPCA officers to inspect her
animals. Special Constable Morris
Airey, the Alberta SPCA’s Director of
Enforcement, welcomes the kind of
reporting required. “Over the past
several years there has been much
public concern about the treatment
and care of animals on this property,”
he said. “Due to this court order we
will now have the ability to verify the
numbers and conditions of the animals
in her care.”
Ms. Carter was previously
convicted on April 29, 1999 based on
an investigation begun in January 1997
where several goats, horses and a pig
were found dead and other horses
were in poor body condition from lack
of sufficient food and water.
Over 100 dogs removed from
Buck Lake property
In late May 2006, we received a call
reporting a large number of dogs on
an acreage in the Buck Lake area. Our
Officer attended at the location and
found a woman living in a mobile
home on the property. Initial estimates
suggested there were between 50
and 100 dogs running loose on the
property. A veterinarian was called in
and after initial examination six dogs
were found to be in severe distress and
removed from the property. Twentyfour other dogs were surrendered to
County of Wetaskiwin Animal Control.
The attending veterinarian advised that
steps needed to be taken to deal with
the remaining dogs on the property as
there were indications of the younger
and weaker dogs being unable to
compete for the food as well as being
subjected to injuries from the larger
and more aggressive dogs.
A search warrant was obtained
and a joint effort was undertaken on
June 7 involving Alberta SPCA, County
of Wetaskiwin Animal Control and the
Edmonton Humane Society. Under the
supervision of a registered veterinarian,
Repeat Offender ordered to pay
$1000 fine, limit animals
On November 30, 2006, Haeli Carter of
Tofield was found guilty of an offence
under Alberta’s Animal Protection Act.
She was fined $1000 and ordered to
reduce the number of livestock to no
more than 10 animals for a five-year
period; she also must keep the Alberta
SPCA informed of the animals under
her care.
The current conviction refers to
eight horses that were found to be
in distress from malnutrition and a
variety of untreated medical conditions.
Four foals, one of which had died,
were found cramped in a small pen
without food or water. All were very
skinny and covered in feces. One of
the foals needed to be euthanized; the
More than a hundred dogs were found at a property near Buck Lake in June 2006.
Mark your
calendars
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Alberta
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (Alberta SPCA) will be held starting
at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday March 17, 2007
at the Chateau Louis Hotel and Conference
Centre, 11727 Kingsway, Edmonton. All
members are invited to attend. Members in
good standing for six months are entitled to
vote.
Alberta SPCA Board of
Directors
This border collie mix, shown in her new home in January, was just four weeks old
when she was rescued from Buck Lake. She was named “Lucky” by her new family
because they consider themselves lucky to have her.
81 dogs were captured and removed
from the property; several others were
removed in the following week. The
dogs were turned over to Edmonton
Humane for the holding period under
the Animal Protection Act. The dogs
were later evaluated by Edmonton
Humane veterinarian and their Animal
Behavior Specialist which resulted in
some of the dogs being euthanized
with the remainder being put up for
adoption. Several rescue groups helped
to house and find new homes for the
dogs, including the Humane Animal
Rescue Team (HART) and the Northern
Alberta Society for Animal Protection
(NASAP).
The owner of the dogs, Donna
McPherson, pled guilty to a charge
under the Animal Protection Act
– Section 2(1) on July 12. Her sentence
included a fine of $230 and prohibition
from owning or having charge of more
than two dogs. In addition, the Alberta
SPCA has been granted authority to
inspect the dogs on her property. Her
two remaining dogs have been spayed
and neutered.
The Alberta Livestock
Protection System
The Alberta SPCA is governed by a
volunteer Board of Directors which
operates according to the Carver system
of governance. Directors are elected from
the membership at the Society’s Annual
General Meeting held every March.
If you feel you have the attributes to
serve as a Director, and are willing to commit
to a two-year term of office, please send
a letter stating your qualifications, your
understanding of animal welfare, and any
previous board experience you may have to:
Board Selection Committee, Alberta SPCA,
10806 124 Street, Edmonton AB T5M OH3.
For more information about the role and
requirements of Directors, please call our
head office at (780) 447-3600.
Alberta SPCA Animal Protection Officers
The Alberta Livestock Protection
System (ALPS) is unique in Canada.
It is a working partnership of these
organizations dealing with livestock:
• Director of Enforcement: S/Cst.
Morris Airey, Edmonton
• Field Supervisor: S/Cst. Ken Dean,
Red Deer
• Alberta SPCA
• Alberta Agriculture and Food (AAF)
• Alberta Farm Animal Care Association
(AFAC)
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
Animal Protection Officers:
The ongoing goal of the ALPS is to ensure
that Alberta’s growing livestock industry has
a functional, proactive animal protection
system in place as we enter the 21st century.
In so doing, we demonstrate to provincial,
national and international markets that
Alberta is a global leader in its commitment
to the humane treatment of livestock.
S/Cst. Stuart Dodds, Edmonton
S/Cst. Julie Goforth, Grande Prairie
S/Cst. Jacqueline Lozinski, Red Deer
S/Cst. Rod McLaughlin, Edmonton
S/Cst. Terry Wagman, Strathmore
Reporting animal abuse or
neglect in Alberta
SPCAs and Humane Societies rely on
the public to help prevent cruelty to
animals. To report suspected animal
abuse or neglect, all the appropriate
number below:
In Calgary, call the Calgary Humane
Society at (403) 250-7722
In Edmonton, call the Edmonton
Humane Society at (780) 491-3502
In Fort McMurray, call the Fort
McMurray SPCA at (780) 743-8997
in all other areas of Alberta, call the
Alberta SPCA at 1-800-455-9003
AnimalKind
Rescued horse a winner
The Alberta SPCA recently received this message from one of our supporters:
I own a gelding who is currently 3 yrs old and was
part of a seizure near Mundare in 2003. Bruce was
only a weanling at that time, and when I got him
was wild, wormy and very skinny. He has since
turned into a sweet, trainable, kind thinking horse
who is now a permanent member of our family.
He has been slow to mature (it was only in the last
few weeks that he had his first rides) but he took
to those like everything else – with patience and
faith that he would be safe. This photo is from his
second ride. It is my hope that in the next two years
we will begin showing in dressage and hunter over
fences. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity
to adopt this wonderful colt. All my life I have had
registered, purebred show horses. Bruce was the
first who didn’t fit this category and I am thankful
for all the experiences I have had with him. Of all
the rescue horses I have had in my life he is the only
one that I cannot imagine ever letting go of.
Bruce with his new owner in January
Disturbing news prompts public outcry
In October the Alberta SPCA was
inundated with calls from the
concerned public, outraged about
the reports of a dog that was taped,
beaten and apparently dragged
behind a vehicle in Didsbury on the
Thanksgiving weekend. The dog,
named Daisy Duke, was found on a
road and euthanized by a veterinarian
who was called to the scene.
This case was investigated by the
RCMP, who laid charges under the
Criminal Code of Canada. One of
the accused is a minor and can’t be
identified under the Youth Criminal
Justice Act; the other individual has
pled not guilty and is due to appear in
court in May.
While the investigation is being
conducted by the RCMP, the Alberta
SPCA has engaged in ongoing
communication with both the Didsbury
RCMP and the Crown Prosecutor’s
Office.
The Animal Cruelty section of
the Criminal Code of Canada, which
was written in 1892, makes it a crime
to cause unnecessary pain, suffering
or injury to an animal. The maximum
penalty that a court can impose is a
$2000 fine and/or 6 months in jail. The
court can also prohibit a guilty party
from owning or having control of an
animal for up to two years.
Although there have been
numerous attempts since 1999 to
update the animal cruelty section of
the Criminal Code, none have made
it through the parliamentary process.
Members of the public who want to
see the federal law strengthened are
advised to contact their Member of
Parliament (MP). You can find out who
your MP is by calling 1-866-599-4999
toll free.
The Alberta SPCA, through our
Animal Protection Department and
Education programs, strives to improve
the treatment of all animals in Alberta
by encouraging more compassionate
attitudes toward animals. We
appreciate the support shown through
the hundreds of emails, phone calls
and letters we have received about this
matter. It is such widespread public
support that encourages us to keep
striving toward our goal of having
every animal in Alberta humanely
treated.
Two ways to
show you care!
You can send special greetings to friends
and family members through an Alberta
SPCA greeting card – either the traditional
note card or an electronic version sent by
email.
Our attractive Alberta SPCA note cards
are a great way for animal lovers to send
their greetings. There are four different
styles to choose from (all cards are blank
inside). Dimensions are 4” x 5.5” (folded).
Cost is only $2 each plus $2 shipping and
handling per order.
To order note cards contact Sandra at (780)
447-3600 ext. 2226.
An Alberta SPCA E-Card is a wonderful
way to honour friends and family in
recognition of a special occasion, birthday,
holiday, milestone or simply to let them
know you’re thinking about them. To view
our current selection and order an e-card,
go to www.albertaspca.org/E-Cards.asp.
IN LOVING MEMORY
Beloved people and animals
remembered through memorial
donations of $50 or more
Baby Shawn by Patricia & Charles Benson
Cameron Glen Bailey by John Trollope
“Bombay”,”Kitty”,”Bojo” & “Jingles” by Claudie
Shepherd
Thelma Brayne by Steve Lane
Pauline Brownlee by Karen Maplethorpe
Polly Brownlee by Allan Doherty
“Chancy” by Martha Feschuk
“Charlie” the Frog by Tammy May
“Cheyenne” by Tannis Arychuk
Doreen Conrad by Carolyn Bolivar-Getson,
Wayne Bolivar and Marianne Hennessey
“Delta” “Talker” “Timer” by Andrew Horsman
Dean Dillman by Candace Girard
“Dolly” “Jessie” “Muffy” “Susie” by Patricia
Gibson
Rose Dortch by John deMoissac et al
Verla Dortch by Bud & Kevin Wholesale Trailers
Ruth Dyck by Alice Frank
“Estie,Keila,Hollie,Charlie,& Gus” by Audrey
Sturm-Summers
Jerri-Lynn Garlough by Christine Parker
Darcy Graham by Dawn Graham and Katherine
Boerger
Ethel Gueffroy by Laurie & David Upright
Nellie Gunn by George Gunn
Dorothy (Dot) Hansen by Gladys Hahn, Alberta
District 2 Little League Baseball, South Side Slow
Pitch, Sharon Alessi (re:’Dirty Birdies’), Comm
Serv Dept, City of Edmonton
“Happy” by Gordon Godfrey
Shirly Hawkins by Dale Hinves and Kenneth
Hinves
Zeni Heiser by Colleen Mitchell and Gayle Yarrow
Dorene Hoffsteter by Dennis & Christa Martin
Tom Howell by Catherine Peters
Dorothy Husband by Emily Ochotsky
“Ike” & “Tibet” by John & Patricia Johnson
“K.D.” by Laurie Brazzoni
Lorna Kokotilo by Brad Kokotilo
Sheri Lynn Krock & Wayne Alexander by Marion
Kaluza
Andre Kweatkowski by Laura Jackson
“LB” “Dovey” “Girlie” by Shirley Viertelhausen
J.G. LaVergne by Joanne LaVergne
“Marilyn” by Samuel Eason
Ethel Mastre by Bruce Clemmer, Patricia & Jock
Hutchinson, Marc St Laurent, Ken & Tracy Richert
and Milt & Sharon Kinzel
Grace Mathison by Linda Auriat
Judy McAvoy by Bryne & David Hindley, Janet
Webb & Lionel McKernan
Robert McCann by Dynacare Kasper
Brian McClary by Brent & Janet Boyd, Patricia
Hagen and GLJ Petroleum Cons
Mal McGregor by Marg Blondheim
Lorraine McManus by Wanita Rauw
Brian Miller by Trish Phillips, Mike Schell, Olds
College and Janet & Granite Lawritsen
Dorothy Mitchell by Kitty Holst
Mary Mohr by Gordon Tidswell
“Morgan” by Marie Capp
“Murphy” by Cheryl Pasieka
Madonna Ormrod by Shari Gelinas
John Pankratz by Penn West Energy
Dr Frank Peterson by Gayle & Bruce Houston
Mr & Mrs Pitman by ATCO Pipelines
“Pebbles” by June Volsky
“Puddy” by Shirley Solberg
“Riley” by Cheryl Duholke
“Sam” by Jane Rudkin
Margaret Schiewe by Norman Schiewe and Marci
Livingstone
“Schultz” by Isobelle Ferguson
Bradley Sciur by Shirley & Gary Mahon and
Romanovsky & Assoc
Shawna & Brandy by Charles & Patricia Benson
Donna Mae Simpson by Val Kruhlake
“Sisaboo” by Marsha Walsh
“Sparky”, “Tinker”, & “Paddy” by Norman & Kory
McLeod
“Sprite” by Crowe Family & Caillie
George William Stedman by Stuart & Gradwell
Ins
“Tosha” Stinton by Ian & Dean Ross
Alexis Stott by Dwight Byron
Melvin Stratte by Evelyn Koroby
“Stubby””Bandi””Pippi””Lady””Petey” by Sylvia
Hougestol
William (Bill) Sware by Holly Parker
Gary Michael Taylor by Kevin & Gerry Casey
“Tiny” by Denise Stringer
John Washburn by Art & Judy Hoffer
Billilu Marsha Winter by Donna Mulholland
Olive Wright by Mary Watson
“Zeke”, “Sophie”, & “Boomer” by Kathryn
Morrow
Education Update
Collaborating for Violence
Prevention
One of the objectives of the
Alberta SPCA’s education program
is “to provide people with better
understanding of laws relating to
animals and the effect of those laws on
animals, people and the environment.”
To this end, the Alberta SPCA’s Director
of Education, Tim Battle, has been
working with law enforcement and
social service agencies to inform them
of the connections between animal
cruelty, domestic violence and child
abuse.
In November Tim joined Dr. Randall
Lockwood, Senior Vice President of the
American SPCA, in speaking at the Safe
Schools and Communities Conference
put on by the Alberta Association
of School Resource Officers. Their
session, entitled Animal Cruelty and
Interpersonal Violence, explored the
relationship between animal abuse and
other forms of violent and antisocial
behaviour with an emphasis on youth.
Speaking to a crowd consisting of
police officers, teachers and social
workers, they presented research
demonstrating that animal abuse is
often an indicator of other violence in
the home and a potential predictor of
the capacity for serious violence against
others. They also presented examples
of programs that promote empathy
and compassion through positive
interactions with animals which are
powerful tools for violence prevention
and intervention for at-risk youth.
Last October, Tim gave a
presentation at the Alberta Solicitor
General & Public Security Staff College
for police supervisors from around
Alberta. Speaking to over 70 senior
officers from the RCMP, municipal
police services, band and military
police detachments, his presentation
emphasized the importance of working
together, particularly in domestic violence
situations.
Domestic Violence Handbook
includes Animal Cruelty
A section of the Domestic Violence
Handbook for Police and Crown
Prosecutors in Alberta is devoted to
the relationship between animal abuse
and family violence. The handbook,
recently published by Alberta Justice,
is a compilation of the research, best
practices, and knowledge that experts
in the area of family violence agree are
essential to effective response by the
criminal justice system. The handbook
can be downloaded through the Cruelty
Connection section of albertaspca.org.
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO THE
ALBERTA SPCA, 10806-124 ST., EDMONTON, AB T5M 0H3
(Income tax receipts are automatically issued for donations of $10 or more.)