Humane Canada, Canada’s federation of SPCAs and humane societies, claims that it drives positive, progressive change to end animal cruelty, improve animal protection and promote the humane treatment of all animals.
However, the British Columbia Animal Law Coalition was recently formed to advocate for stronger shelter animal protection laws in the province and that the BC SPCA needs transparency, accountability and public oversight. The Coalition has extensively documented that healthy animals are being euthanized and not cared for properly according to people in British Columbia who have had direct experiences with the BC SPCA.
The BC SPGA, the Voice for people with pets and their animals, has shown that well meaning and responsible B.C. animal rescuers, sanctuaries, ethical breeders and others have been accused and charged by the BC SPCA with animal cruelty. For example, Al Magaw was widely known in the province as the "dog whisperer" then the BC SPCA confiscated most of his dogs which in the eyes of many in the public is equated with 'an animal abuser'.
Felicia Allen, who is a wellknown animal activist, advocate, rescuer, educator, and animal rights proponent of fifty years in the province, had to fight for the return of her animals in the BC Supreme court (and was successful on both occasions) which were seized while she was being repeatedly assaulted and in Emergency at the hospital as a result of a violent landlord in a tenancy situation. Then again, two days after the Supreme Court had ordered the animals returned, the BC SPCA took the animals into custody and euthanized two of the horses who had been in their care for three months. "One horse that was returned was starvation thin," says Felicia. "I cried on sight, what kind of evil people do this to an animal?" But it did not end there. Felicia's little therapy pony of eleven years was seized, then euthanized by one of the hired BC SPCA veterinarians while he was in veterinary care. "The BC SPCA is ruthless here. If you are recognized for the good work that you do, you become a target" says Felicia. "I have experienced that and heard that from others. The ongoing backlash from some of the public and our local news media, particularly the ones who are staunch allies of the BC SPCA, compounds the injury and pain you live with daily already from the loss of your animal family. "
Warren Brundage of the Suzaku Sanctuary, who had been frequently featured in regional news regarding his work with rabbit rescues through the Suzaku Sanctuary Society, says he was unfairly treated by the BC SPCA. Warren told the Victoria News that “At the time the SPCA seized our animals, there were no animals that fit what people would consider to be distress, but that doesn’t necessarily matter to the SPCA. They define ‘distress’ on the spot, and they do it entirely subjectively.”
Outrage has been expressed by people upset by healthy animals being euthanized or not cared for properly by the BC SPCA. Most recently, Kelly Bunting started an online petition that has garnered thousands of signatures calling on the District of West Vancouver to extend staffing hours at the West Van SPCA after she saw a senior dog left alone overnight for weeks at a time. Kelly had been a volunteer who would walk the dog.
In the spring of 2024, Pluto, a dog was brought to the BC SPCA after being found in dire condition. The BC SPCA raised $5,449 in donations in Pluto’s name from the public for his medical treatment. Then just weeks later, despite pleas from advocates, rescue groups and a foster that loved him, the BC SPCA euthanized him according to a member of the community.
Johnny was a handsome, older Husky dog seized by the BC SPCA. Shortly after, it was reported in the local news that Johnny had been "saved" by the BC SPCA. Advocates reported Johnny was posted as adoptable under a few different names as he was moved between SPCA Centres. Eventually he disappeared from adoption pages altogether. Later that summer, a former SPCA staff member announced on the Justice for Johnny Facebook page that Johnny had been euthanized. Laurie Schildt remembers well, "I had a rescue to take Johnny all set up and the SPCA blocked me at every angle. There was no reason for Johnny to be euthanized 🤬 they would not even return my calls."
The British Columbia Animal Law Coalition maintains that, "The 130 year old Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act does not reflect the modern reality of how companion animals fit in our lives, families, communities and hearts. The Act must ensure all of us who support and engage in shelter animal issues, whether a city contract manager or a shelter volunteer, can have access to information and avenues for enquiring into SPCA policies and decision making. Any organization, like the BC SPCA, that is responsible for thousands of lives each year must be held accountable with public oversight and be fully transparent in its operations."
There is no independent oversight of what the BC SPCA does or does not do with animals that are seized. People often do not know what the fate of an animal will be if the animal is surrendered to the BC SPCA. If the animal does not meet the guidelines (they are not publicly published) for re-sale, there is a likelihood that the animal will be euthanized.
Nis Talia adopted cats and a dog from the SPCA. "Once you see how funds are allocated, you can't continue to blindly support them and believe the marketing. At the end of the day they are a corporation. I stopped donating to the SPCA a few years back as most of the donations were going to administrative costs instead of animal welfare costs."
Sarah Jane West is an animal advocate and spokesperson, writer, researcher based out of Sooke, B.C. "I actually was the BC SPCA director for their centennial year decades ago and I could see problems brewing then when they just had one small office in downtown Vancouver." Hayley Wiens remembers "Years ago many long and short term volunteers left the Surrey SPCA because they euthanized a dog named Titan just because he was reactive to a few dogs in the shelter [..] he had done absolutely nothing wrong and come from a home with kids and pets. He was euthanized without discussion."
Leanne Karpuk recounts, "I had a very simiar heartbreaking experience and also stopped volunteering. My friend was a beautiful one year old German shepherd after only a couple of weeks he was euthanized. The decision was made by a team of people in Vancouver he was at a shelter in the Okanagan they had never met or spent any time with him."
Children Suffer Unimaginable Grief At The Hands Of The BC SPCA
Little Mandi, a young eight year old autistic child who had her special companion dog, Maple, seized during a raid is heart-broken. Children are often the victims when their animals are seized and little Mandi had raised Maple and the dog was her special 'baby'.
It was torment for Mandi's parents who felt helpless to stop the BC SPCA from seizing Mandi's little dog. They watched helplessly as tears streamed down their young daughter's face and she pleaded that Maple not go when the little dog was taken while in her arms. "No child should be put through this," said a BC SPGA spokesperson. "Leave the children's animals alone and help the family with pet care needs instead."
Little Mandi longs to be with Maple
Katherine Lochhead, Mandi’s mother described how they had to deal with the BC SPCA taking their daughter’s healthy dog, “Sure that we would work things out later, and under great pressure from police, Mandi's papa convinced her to let her dog go. We assured her that Maple would come back to her. Unsure why they were even removing dogs at all, we consoled Mandi by telling her that no human would ever keep a bonded pet from returning to its child. Maple was happy, healthy, strong, and loved.”
The BC SPGA began a campaign in an attempt to help Mandi obtain the return of Maple. "Our community volunteers and membership were simply devastated that anyone could have the heart to ruin a little, innocent child on the spectrum by such a cruel, heinous act. We were told that the BC SPCA had rehomed the little dog however one can never be really sure." a BC SPGA spokesperson said.
Public Concerns Focus on BC SPCA Animal Policing Practices
The highest number of complaints that the BC SPGA receive from the public are in regard to BC SPCA animal policing practices and actions. "It is evident that no independent oversight has led to people who are adamently fighting for change as the number of participants in our online campaigns and surveys show. It is also considered over-policing and costly to the taxpayer because the municipalities in the province have animal law enforcers which the public pays for and the RCMP which the public also pays for. Statistically, B.C. has one of the lowest animal abuse statistics - on the whole, people in B.C. love animals which is probably why the public has provided many millions of dollars in donations to the BC SPCA in the hope of helping animals in need." said a spokesperson for the BC SPGA.
Donation Surge Sends BC SPCA Surplus Soaring
The BC SPCA have a fiscal year 2025 surplus of $115.6 million and donations are solicited from the public using many of the animals that they have seized or those needing veterinary care. "People are so sensitive in our province to animals being harmed or hurt that they are vulnerable when it comes to giving believing that they are helping animals. That may have been true in the early days, however not even half of the BC SPCA's $115 million surplus has been used for animals."
Humane Canada recognizes that "There is no such organization that oversees all animal shelters in Canada." said a BC SPGA spokesperson, "Left to their own devices, some of the SPCA shelters with police powers, and no independent public oversight, has led to people being convicted of animal cruelty at random and at the sole discretion of managers like BC SPCA's Eileen Drever, who oversees the BC SPCA's special provincial constables. No one person, or a small group of people, should have that kind of power to ruin people's lives."
Felicia Allen remembers the beautiful little non-riding therapy pony loved by the children that the BC SPCA seized while under the care of his veterinary team. "The BC SPCA showed up when his veterinarian was away with his family on a Thanksgiving long weekend and euthanized the pony before he got back. The veterinary surgeon I had hired for consultation on the pony's treatment could have been contacted by the BC SPCA however that was not done either."
Bentley had progressed well, was mobile and in good spirits during his twelve week recovery under the care of his veterinary team whose prognosis for his full recovery had been "good".