President's Comments

CYA President's Comment

On January 24th and 25th 2002 the BCSPCA's Vancouver shelter had ample room, yet six friendly, healthy dogs were killed. Five other volunteer coordinators and I resigned. Ace, Annie, Mocha, Monee, Mac and Shasta are dead. This website is in memory of and tribute to them and to the countless others before them.

On March 12, 2002, BCSPCA CEO Doug Brimacombe told CKNW radio host Bill Good that he didn't believe those dogs would be killed under new euthanasia policy. When asked by Good if "those volunteers were properly upset and right to be upset because those animals were killed," Brimacombe said he believed we were.

The dog cull and his answers inspired me to found CYA and promote the call for a BCSPCA ombudsman that investigative journalist Kimberly Daum recommended on page 12 in a January 2002 report. Volunteers were watching and willing to speak out this time, but what about every time animal welfare is in question? An independent body must oversee the BCSPCA to, among other things, restore the public trust and that of volunteers, staff and management who protested the dog cull. Donors, too, have asked for accountability through submissions to a community consultation process. They want to know how their money is spent and to ensure that animal care, not administration and bloated bureaucracy, is the target for the funds.

I believe that people want more than spin and lip service from the organization. Action through independent accountability is what I believe is wanted and needed to protect animal welfare and donations to it. You may agree. Please review the site, see Daum's comment, and lend your participation and ideas to it through petitions, submissions and/or questionnaires. Guy Stedman