Shelter Arrogance – BCSPCA Refuses to Return Dog to Owner
In June of this year, a purebred show dog went missing. Her handler instantly initiated a search campaign for the dog, notifying local animal control and the SPCA, and providing them with specific identifying details of the dog, including her microchip information.
While the agent was still searching, Animal Control found the dog. A scan revealed her microchip, which was registered in the name of her US breeder and owner. The owner was notified that AC had possession of the dog.
Recent border changes require the breeder to have a passport to be able to travel into Canada from the USA. Without one, the breeder had to cancel her plans to fly north to claim the dog back personally. Instead, she appointed an agent and notified Animal Control that the dog would be claimed by this person. Animal Control apparently agreed to this.
Unfortunately, AC didn’t follow through. Instead, they handed the dog over to the BCSPCA shelter. BPSPCA refuses to relinquish the dog to the appointed agent, and states emphatically that no dog leaves their shelter without being altered. They state that the dog will be spayed, and then re homed.
In the ultimate kind move, BCSPCA CEO Craig Daniell has told the legal owner of the dog that “she was welcome to apply to adopt the dog after she was spayed”.
Someone please explain to me how on earth the BCSPCA has any legal right to do this. How can they take possession of dog that is clearly not a roaming stray, and refuse to return it without it being altered? Since when does the BCSPCA – or any other SPCA – have the right to do surgery on a dog that is owned by another person, without that person’s permission (dead against that person’s permission, in fact)?
We all understand the ‘problems’ with intact dogs producing more unwanted puppies, but this dog does not fall into that category. Her owner has the legal right to keep an intact dog, and the BCSPCA is denying her that right. I hope that the dog’s owner initiates an expensive and successful legal campaign against the BCSPCA if they do proceed with spaying her dog.
If BCSPCA is allowed to proceed with this, what, in theory, is to stop them from rounding up intact dogs from any show or event site, and altering them before they are ‘returned’ (possibly) to their legal owners?
Add to this the complete and utter gall and insensitivity of telling a dog’s lawful owner that she will have to ‘apply’ to be considered for that dog’s home. It’s the same as if your child wandered off at a playground, and Child Welfare picked them up and immediately placed them for adoption, telling you that you can ‘apply’ to become their foster parent.
Incredible.
Feel free to let CEO Craig Daniell know how you feel about his actions. You can email him at cdaniell@spca.bc.ca
If you’re in the media and have some questions for Craig Daniell and the BCSPCA, here’s their media contact page – http://www.spca.bc.ca/media/enquiries.asp
This is an example of the sort of police state that happens when people empower petty bureaucrats to make decisions on the internal organs of people’s pets. They have no accountability, use no judgment and simply get carried away with their power.
I’m not sure what sort of s/n laws are in effect there, but I hope the public realizes before it’s too late what happens when they listen to animal rights terrorists.
.-= Jan´s last blog ..Here are two very different attempts to rescue a dog in trouble =-.
There is another side to the story!
http://forum.kijiji.ca/viewtopic.php?t=6785817&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15
From:
Date: July 8, 2009 12:41:20 PM GMT-04:00
To:
Cc: ,
Subject: email re dog at Sunshine Coast
Thank you for your email, which has been refered to me for reply. As much of the information being circulated about this incident is not factual, I would like to take this opportunity to correct the misinformation.
The dog in question was alledgedly dumped at a landfill site in Sechelt, on the Sunshine Coast. Witnesses saw a person let the dog out of his truck, and then quickly drive away. A member of the public at the site was able to catch the dog, which was very timid and suffering from an ear infection.
No lost report was ever filed with the BC SPCA-Sunshine Coast branch concerning this animal.
The dog was turned over to the municipal bylaw officer for the District of Sechelt, who later took it to the BC SPCA-Sunshine Coast branch, which holds the kenneling contract for the District.
The contract states that if the animal is not fully claimed within three days of impoundment, the District turns over the dog to the BC SPCA.
An alledged owner did visit the shelter to claim the animal, and was asked to provide some proof of ownership. She said she would do so, and left the shelter. She never returned.
Our investigations have revealed that this person had indeed had custody of the dog and that it was an acquaintance of hers who had taken the dog to the landfill site. Other persons attempted to claim the dog as well. None were able to prove ownership.
A breeder microchip led to the dog’s breeder in Nebraska, who was contacted by the District.
The breeder was advised that the owner had not claimed the animal and that it therefore legally had become the property of the BC SPCA. She was further advised that she was welcome to apply to adopt the animal but must fill out the BC SPCA adoption application form and abide by our adoption policies, which state that the animal will be spayed/neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, and temperament tested prior to adoption. No application form was ever received from either the breeder or the owner.
As the BC SPCA admits almost 37,000 animals per year, many of them purebred, it is important that we set the example in our communities by spaying/neutering all animals prior to adoption.
Thank you for contacting the BC SPCA to express your concerns. It is only because of caring persons like yourself that the BC SPCA continues to improve the lives of animals in this province.
Best wishes,
Bob Busch
BC SPCA GM Operations
Had to write to these “judge and Jury” quacks. To think many people support SPCA’s…..the more their “radical” views are out there….all that is left is a bad taste in ones mouth.
This is not due process. Not by any definition I recognize, American or Canadian. Dog had identification, owners located, owners wanted to reclaim. Border issues cause minor delay but all parties kept in loop. Owner now advised tha she is only ONE out of any number of potential adoptees for the dog, who will of course be spayed before release.
This is a show dog. Spaying will end her show career.
What public interest is being served by this public expense??
What public interest is being served by this public expense??
None whatsoever. No one is being ‘protected’, no surge of overpopulation has been prevented, nothing has been accomplished but a heart broken owner with good grounds for a civil suit, and a shelter that looks like a bunch of bullying jerks.
Canadian tax dollars at work. Aint we proud!
Could there be some political agenda here, against dog-show people and the alleged “cruelty” of dog shows, because, short of this, I can’t make any sense of this idiocy.
I sure hope the owner sues the pants out of the shelter.
Also, does this mean that, should, God forbid, my microchipped dog get loose and be picked up by the SPCA, he would then end up being put up for adoption and I would be “considered” as a candidate amongst others? Over my dead body, SPCA! And here I was, thinking that the whole point of the microchip was fast and reliable owner identification to avoid such a situation in the first place…
Is there any legal base for this type of action anyway??
Could there be some political agenda here, against dog-show people and the alleged “cruelty” of dog shows, because, short of this, I can’t make any sense of this idiocy.
Well, that’s what *I* assume is going on. They’re ‘protecting’ this dog from the cruel, cruel life she’s been living as a show dog – ‘forced’ to eat liver bait and get shiny ribbons. Later, she might be ‘forced’ into have health tests done, and bred to a carefully chosen sire who’s also health cleared. That would be animal cruelty — unlike cutting her open and performing needless surgery, which is an obvious act of kindness (just like when shelters kill stray dogs out of ‘kindness’, rather than seeking homes for them).
You can’t rationalize this sort of thing – it defies rational thought, because it is not the actions of rational people.
Dog shows = cruelty
breeding = cruelty
breeders = unfit owners
Forced sterilization = kindness
Don’t try to think about it too hard, you’ll give yourself a frustration induced embolism.
Our state has a 10 day stray hold, and after that the dog becomes the legal property of the shelter and therefore they can do wahtever they want with the dog.
But our shelter would never do anything like this if they’re in contact with the owner, even if it’s past the stray hold. They don’t even schedule a speuter if the dog has a microchip. It’s always best to return the dog back to the owner. For shame on the AC and the BCSPCA
Wow, this is truly insane.. the dog has an owner.. and it should be released to its owner… BCSPCA has no rights where this dog is concerned.. give the dog back un-spayed…
Where is this shelter located? We need to initiate a boycott of this city/county ASAP and let the Mayor/County leadership know that any dollar we WOULD have spent in the area is going to be donated to the legal fund of that dog’s legal owner unless it is returned, intact, to her agent. This is insane!!
Where is this shelter located?
British Columbia, Canada. I’m trying to get a quote from the breeder/owner, but the affiliated groups trying to help her are worried that ‘causing too much trouble’ will result in the BC SPCA refusing to co operate with some of the groups involved in the future, and might further jeopardize the breeder’s chance of getting the dog back.
Personally, I think that putting shelters like this under public scrutiny is the ONLY solution to situations like this. They THRIVE on secrecy, and on being able to operate un challenged.
OK, being a BC, Canada resident, I would like to see if I could help, somehow. But BC is a heck of a BIG province. Could you perhaps be a little more specifice then just BC? Sorry this has happened to you…. both the SPCA’s lack of commen sense, and Thanks to former President Bush and cronies…. for the assinine now required Passport issue.
It’s not my dog, Kim, but thanks the same 🙂
I will post more detailed information as soon as the parties involved give me permission to do so. Someone else wrote me and said that all of this ‘should never have been made public, as it could hurt her chances of getting the dog back from BCSPCA’. Apparently, this shelter is known for some rather vindictive behavior. Not that I’m shocked or anything..
Oh that is very common in the US. One of the noted pit bull rescue groups actually featured a dog whose owner declined to reclaim it from a shelter when told the dog had been neutered and the group bragged about how it had saved this dog from its allegedly irresponsible owner. To me it just sounded like one more pit bull needing to find a new home, when it already had one, at the likely cost of one OTHER dog having to be destroyed for space reasons.
B.C. SPCA By-Laws
5. DIRECTORS
5.1. Powers of Directors
The Directors must manage, or supervise the management of, the affairs
and business of the Society and are authorized to exercise all such
powers and do all such acts and things as the Society may exercise and
do, and which are not by these Bylaws or by statute or otherwise
lawfully directed or required to be exercised or done by the Society
in general meeting, but subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of
all laws affecting the Society and these Bylaws. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the Directors shall establish policies,
rules and regulations to carry out the obligations and powers of the
Society under the Act, including regarding the operation of animal
shelters.
5.15. Chief Executive Officer
The Board may appoint or remove a Chief Executive Officer. The Board
may define the duties, responsibilities, remuneration and privileges
of the Chief Executive Officer, who shall take direction from and
report to the Board at each meeting of the Board.
PRESIDENT, and CAPITAL REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Mary Lou Troman
Email: mltroman@ntouchcorp.com
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT, and SOUTH FRASER REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Peter
MacKillop
Email: p_mackillop@telus.net
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT, and DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Vicky Renneberg
Email: rennebergv@cnc.bc.ca
SECRETARY-TREASURER, and CENTRAL REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Vanessa Lycos
Email: vanessa.lycos@shaw.ca
DIRECTOR AT-LARGE: Red Lawrence
Email: zred@telus.net
DIRECTOR AT-LARGE: Carla Maruyama
Email: carla_maruyama@hermanmiller.com
UPPER ISLAND REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Tina Kanahele
Email: tinakcr@hotmail.com
CENTRAL ISLAND REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Norma LePage
Email: enlepage@shaw.ca
CAPITAL REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Gail Peterson
Email: g-peterson@shaw.ca
UPPER FRASER REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Kris Bowen
Email: tigerbowen@yahoo.com
THOMPSON REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Bonnie Bischoff
Email: thebad3@shaw.ca
OKANAGAN REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Kim Evans
Mailing Address:
Suite 110 – 3145 Wilson Street
Penticton, BC V2A 8J3
PEACE REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Meredith Thornton
Email: mthorntn@pris.bc.ca
Chris Olsen CTV BC: olsen@ctv.ca
Scotiabank (major BC SPCA Sponsors): mail.president@scotiabank.com, ombudsman@scotiabank.com
– phone line to their sponsorship area: 416-866-6161
Paws for a Cause Event Coordinator BC SPCA: paws@spca.bc.ca
BC SPCA
– CEO: cdaniell@spca.bc.ca
– Board of Directors (not all are active): mltroman@ntouchcorp.com, p_mackillop@telus.net, rennebergv@cnc.bc.ca, vanessa.lycos@shaw.ca, zred@telus.net, carla_maruyama@hermanmiller.com, tinakcr@hotmail.com, enlepage@shaw.ca, g-peterson@shaw.ca, tigerbowen@yahoo.com
, thebad3@shaw.ca, mthorntn@pris.bc.ca
Sponsors to the above: tabtips@theprovince.com, tvwcomments@canadawide.com, globalnews.bc@globaltv.com, info@bosleys.com
– for FM 104.8, Jack FM & News1130, I had to use the contact form on the website at: http://www.1049greatesthits.com/contact/
– I think that’s all of them (the sponsors)
CHUM Radio: jbrenner@cfra.com, brad.weaver@chumradio.com, kevin.mchale@chumradio.com
Responsible Dog Owners of Canada: coconnell@responsibledogowners.ca
I just received the reply below in response to my e-mail… Sure sounds like two completely different stories, and I’d really like to find out the TRUTH of what happened!
Diana
~~~
Thank you for your email, which has been refered to me for reply. As much of the information being circulated about this incident is not factual, I would like to take this opportunity to correct the misinformation.
The dog in question was alledgedly dumped at a landfill site in Sechelt, on the Sunshine Coast. Witnesses saw a person let the dog out of his truck, and then quickly drive away. A member of the public at the site was able to catch the dog, which was very timid and suffering from an ear infection.
No lost report was ever filed with the BC SPCA-Sunshine Coast branch concerning this animal.
The dog was turned over to the municipal bylaw officer for the District of Sechelt, who later took it to the BC SPCA-Sunshine Coast branch, which holds the kenneling contract for the District.
The contract states that if the animal is not fully claimed within three days of impoundment, the District turns over the dog to the BC SPCA.
An alledged owner did visit the shelter to claim the animal, and was asked to provide some proof of ownership. She said she would do so, and left the shelter. She never returned.
Our investigations have revealed that this person had indeed had custody of the dog and that it was an acquaintance of hers who had taken the dog to the landfill site. Other persons attempted to claim the dog as well. None were able to prove ownership.
A breeder microchip led to the dog’s breeder in Nebraska, who was contacted by the District.
The breeder was advised that the owner had not claimed the animal and that it therefore legally had become the property of the BC SPCA. She was further advised that she was welcome to apply to adopt the animal but must fill out the BC SPCA adoption application form and abide by our adoption policies, which state that the animal will be spayed/neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, and temperament tested prior to adoption. No application form was ever received from either the breeder or the owner.
As the BC SPCA admits almost 37,000 animals per year, many of them purebred, it is important that we set the example in our communities by spaying/neutering all animals prior to adoption.
Thank you for contacting the BC SPCA to express your concerns. It is only because of caring persons like yourself that the BC SPCA continues to improve the lives of animals in this province.
Sincerely,
Bob Busch
GM Operations
Best wishes,
Bob Busch
BC SPCA GM Operations
Ummm…what happened to the copy of this I posted before this one?
Dunno – sometimes if you post two comments in a row, Askimet marks them as spam. Feel free to re comment, and I’ll check the spam folder.
And sure enough, there is was in the spam folder. Your comment has a lot of links in it, and Askimet usually thinks that = spam
I am, and have been, assisting the owner.
Bob Busch, as usual, has it all wrong.
This dog was not DUMPED.
The owner, in the middle of moving, asked her ex to care for her dogs so she could get on with things.
After a 4 hour drive from their home, he neglectfully, let the dogs out of the truck to pee. Not leashed. They idn’t come when called so he drove the truck up farther to his house (which wasn’t far!!!) expecting the dogs to follow. 2 did and 2 didn’t.
One was found by owner and ex about a week after the other was found and put under Animal Control umbrella.
Normally A/C keeps dogs for 72 hours. They kept this dog in a “foster home” which was the neighbour of the finder. Not suitable but that is another story. The dog was turned over to the SPCA about a week or so later when things were getting “hot”.
Bottom line is SPCA knows dog has an owner who wants the dog back.
Owner has been under huge stress for many reasons and needed to get documented proof of ownership first.
Luckly, the dog went into season preventing her from being spayed.
A lawyer has given advice and I hope that the owner will have the dog by today or tomorrow.
She thanks everyone for their concern but would like to take care of this without ‘fanfare’.
You know the old saying “too many cooks spoil the broth”
It ind of applies here.
Thanks
Here is the response to Bob’s laughable story:
– – –
Bob Busch is wrong, wrong,wrong.
Not surprising, however. I’ve not met him but my good friend in rescue has and has not many good things to say about him.
The dog was not abandoned or dumped.
It is a long story as to how the dog ended up there but the owner was not at fault, she wasn’t even there. It was the irresponsible caregiver’s fault.
Animal Control kept the dog at the home of the finder’s neighbour, who was not an approved foster for the A/C.
(Finder refused to hand over the dog to the A/C for some reason)
I am under the understanding that dogs are kept under A/C care for up to 72 hours then they send them to the SPCA.
This dog was kept for over a WEEK!
Then, when things got ‘hot’ the manager sent her over to the SPCA.
The A/C manager bullied the owner saying things to her that owner believed as she is a soft person. I told the owner that they had no power to “ensure she could never own a dog in Canada again’.
US breeder faxed all the appropriate forms to the A/C.
Yes, dog was microchipped in the breeder’s name. She has no passport so could not come to Canada.
Apparenlty, not sure if this was true but all the ID information didn’t get over to the SPCA from the A/C.
I told breeder to re-fax everything.
I was given the name of a local lawyer who has given ‘over the phone’ advice to the owner.
Thankfully, the dog went into season and they couldn’t send her in to be spayed.
Her 3 weeks will be up in terms of her season in a day or 2.
Anyways, hopefully the owner will be able to pick up the dog today.
I remain skeptical but hopeful.
– – –
Was the owner able to get her dog back yet?
The Victoria SPCA killed our family dog that was three years old, healthy and we took him in for adoption, after we posted an add on Used Victoria, the SPCA told us bring him in, they promised to find a good home for him. They were right , he is in a nice little urn beside our bed, I am the legal owner, our dog was tattooed and registered to me by the SPCA,he was gentle and lived with young babies and cats . He was never deemed dangerous or had any complaints even the postman loved him. I was never contacted, they killed him within less than an hour of arrival in Victoria SPCA. Bob Busch had more or less the same, thank you, now go away email to our family. Now he just blocks the emails he knows the SPCA has good lawyers, so he and his society can so whatever they please.
The Victoria SPCA killed our family dog that was three years old, healthy and we took him in for adoption, after we posted an add on Used Victoria, the SPCA told us bring him in, they promised to find a good home for him.
I am a bit confused about this. You say that you were the registered legal owner of the dog, but then earlier you said that you ‘took him for adoption’.
Did you adopt him from the shelter, and he was later picked up by them as a stray, or did you surrender him to them for adoption?
I’m not justifying the BCSPCA euthanizing a perfectly health, adoptable dog within an hour of his being surrendered, but I do want to make sure that I understand what it is you’re saying happened.
I was not the dogs owner my adult daughter was her husband did not have any work so she opened a daycare which meant she could not walk him very often as she started at 7 am with five one year olds until 5 30 pm she felt it would be in his best interest to find a new home with more time for him, she posted an ad on used Victoria, and was then sent emails three times telling her to bring him back for readoption, they promised to find him a great home. He stayed at my house for two nights and we have two people in the neighborhood who are dog haters and have sent the bylaw officer to our house 7 times, for ridiculous reasons, so her dog for the very first time ever chased a deer and bit it so in order to get him out of the reach of our horrible neighbors and also help keep them from pestering our 10 year old dog anymore, we decided to take him to the SPCA in Duncan where they said to bring him to find a good home, they had a virus and told us to drive back down to Victoria and the Manager there was great at finding homes for dogs, this I did and her beautiful dog was killed in less than an hour, no one ever looked at him or assessed him, he was taken out of my car put in a van driven to Elk Lake Vet and killed immediately even though I told them he was my daughters dog, on the website they say they do and assessment with Vets and behaviour specialists, that is a load of lies. He was healthy, never deemed dangerous as he had never hurt children, cats nothing . The bylaw officer was shocked he was killed, the Spca told him I brought him in and asked for his death, I was sobbing hysterically pleading to take him home to put a muzzle on him anything, she threatened my husband at work by phone telling him we would be sued if we did not kill her dog. Now the SPCA suggested that my daughter should sue me for wrongful death of her dog. We never got a copy of the huge document they forced me to sign. and will not give us a copy, I had no glasses and could not read not to mention the form was put in front of me for one second as I signed then taken away. I thought it was the law they contact the legal owner, my daughter and her husband the SPCA had tattooed him with their name and phone number, the did not follow any of the laws or protocol that they publish on their fake website, claiming they only euthanize dogs that are sick or have been seen by behavior specialists and tried to be rehomed by they are too vicious. None of anything they claim is true, and all they do is kill your animal and tell you to go away, and block your emails. This society is really dishonest and use the funds most likely for legal fees. We have no idea why they wanted this healthy, loving, gentle young dog killed so quickly and so illegally. What are their motives and why do they cover up for managers at high kill societies such as this one?
Was this Cocker ever returned to it’s owner?
As for the dog of another commenter that was euthanized within one hour of being returned to the SPCA: This is common practise at SPCA’s. Owner surrenders can be and usually are euthanized immediately. Fopund dogs have to be held for three days and then the SPCA can do what they please with them. Owner surrenders have no chance at all. People would do best to find another home for their pet themselves.
The dog that the Victoria SPCA killed immediately was not surrendered willingly the SPCA told the owner to bring the dog in for rehoming and then bullied, threatened and coerced the non owner into surrendering the dog. The dog was not going to be surrendered the owner only wanted a home for the dog.The SPCA manager told the non owners,(the parents of the owner of the dog,) they would be sued, and held liable if they did not surrender the dog. This is not a legal or willing surrender, therefore does not constitute a surrender at all. The dog was killed as a power trip by the Manager of the SPCA and for no other reason, just because she wanted the dog dead, she was going to kill the dog,legally or not. The family was told by another SPCA employee,she tried to cancel the killing, when she realized she had not listened to who the owner was, but it was too late. This shows you can take a complete strangers dog into the spca and have it killed not questions asked, no assessment and no time wasted.All this can be done in just over an hour,you do not need to show that you are the dog and even when you say you are not the owner of the dog, but you do need to provide identification to pick up the dogs ashes, so make sure you bring proof of who you are to pick up the dogs remains.Surrender is not threatening and bullying surrender is voluntary.