The recent raids conducted by the BC SPCA on various rescues and sanctuaries in British Columbia has left a trail of devastation, impacting both the animals and the non-profit societies dedicated to their care. These actions have not only caused emotional turmoil for the staff and volunteers but have also raised questions about the motivations behind such raids.

BC rescues, shelters and sanctuaries are over-crowded and some have incurred deep debt with raids by the BC SPCA and the resulting animal seizures. Shelters and animal welfare organizations in B.C. say they are seeing a huge surge in the number of cats, dogs and other animals given up for adoption.

Many reputable rescues and sanctuaries, known for their commitment to animal welfare, are now grappling with the aftermath of these raids which have caused significant financial strain and even closure.

The exorbitant amounts that the rescues or santuaries have to pay the BC SPCA as a result of the raids should have been used for the animals in their care. Instead the funds are pure profit to the BC SPCA whose costs are already fully publicly funded as well as replemishing their animal stock in their shelters. Some of the animals that don't meet the BC SPCA's standards for re-sale in its pro-kill shelters end up dead.

As these organizations already face significant financial strain in the aftermath of Covid, the burden of debt caused by the BC SPCA raids has forced some to close and others to barely survive.

Dogway Dog Rescue

The Dogway Dog Rescue located in Mission on five acres was raided by the BC SPCA who took 63 dogs. Dogway has rescued upways of 4,000 dogs in its 15 years of operation. The non-profit society is in debt to the BC SPCA for over $75,000 and was not able to recuperate any of the seized dogs.

“We have five staff and some of them have been here for 10 years,” Cherry LaTour, a director of the Dogway Dog rescue society said. “These people are exquisite dog lovers, and they’re not going to stand by while dogs are not treated well.”

Epona Stable and Farms

Felicia Allen of Epona Stable and Farms, established in 1975 in North Vancouver on a property that her parents owned finally had to close the doors to her farm animal rescue and horse therapy work. "Bc SPCA Eileen Drever found out about the rescue in 2012," Felicia says, "and she harassed me right away although she had received no complaint by sending a BC SPCA SPC officer John Meneray out and he found everything was fine . But that didn't make Eileen happy and he told me that she sent him out again on the same day with another BC SPCA employee Lorie Chortyk in tow. The two of them checked everything and found no neglect or abuse whatsoever. It doesn't matter how long you have been rescuing animals or rehabilitating them - when Eileen Drever doesn't like you your days are numbered with their unlawful animal policing evil."

Felicia recounts that "Even when I fought the BC SPCA in the Supreme court and my animals were ordered returned, the BC SPCA had them in their possession again two days later after they brought them back to me. This time they killed two horses and sold two horses that had been in my care for eleven and twenty years respectively to strangers for profit. Again, with no notice to me as the law says so they are in Court again being sued by me. "

Felicia adds that her nightmare with BC SPCA's Eileen Drever and Marcie Moriarity was recently brought to a head. "It's a nightmare with these type of people because they have had no professional police training or background prior to the BC SPCA hiring them. They are pretty well self-taught learning policing on the job, hardly acceptable for the powers they exercise over helpless pet owners and their beloved pets who have no rights or protections. When they don't like someone they look for ways to damage their reputation and good work for animals of many decades in this Province. To get even with me for my Supreme court successes, the BC SPCA hired a young vet graduate, Dr. Gilliland, to deem a pony "in critical distress" who was in treatment for an accidental injury by two equine specialists hired by myself. This despite their own BC SPCA SPC constable testifying that she saw nothing wrong with the pony the day before the BC SPCA took the pony and killed him. The equine specialists that I hired did not report me to the BC SPCA because the little pony was in the best of care. However, a recent vet graduate, Dr. Jane Westendorf, who had been hired by the BC SPCA before with her accomplice, Dr. Gilliland, saw an opportunity to go behind her employer's back and submit a written complaint report about the pony in her employer's care and treatment. Dr. Westendorf testified in Court that she did not provide Dr. Geertsema, the employer, with any knowledge or the opportunity to read the written complaint she made to implicate him and myself in the treatment of the pony to the BC SPCA. What is shocking in my opinion is that Dr. Westendorf hadn't even examined the pony for months and testified she knew nothing about how the pony was doing."

Felicia says that she believes that the BC SPCA hires these young recruits to go against established and reputable veterinarians in the profession. "What is tragic is that the Court will defend these two and not the two equine specialists that were hired by me or my efforts."

Marcie Moriarity, the Chief of the BC SPCA animal policing department, has been implicated in allegations that she assisted Dr. Gilliland with the vet report that is supposed to be "independent" evidence filed in the Court. "This kind of behind the scenes influence by their Chief, BC SPCA Marcie Moriarity, had been suspected and she is a lawyer so she knows what the Judges or a Tribunal want to read." Felicia says.

BC's rescues and sanctuaries are being crushed by the BC SPCA animal raids instead of being helped by the multi-million dollar private charity to keep the animals in their care.

Suzaku Sanctuary Society

Warren Brundage fared no better when the BC SPCA raided his Suzaku Sanctuary Society of many years. The BC SPCA seized 162 rabbits, 10 pigeons, two guinea pigs, a rooster and a chicken. Warren echoed what many others who help animals have experience with, “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.”

Warren Peace Bunny Sanctuary

Warren Peace Bunny Sanctuary was established in 2005 and is owned and operated by Antoinette Monod. Throughout its 20 years of operation, the sanctuary has provided a home to a range of neglected and mistreated animals. Due to a BC SPCA raid the sanctuary must pay $75,000 and has closed its doors to the public. The BC SPCA euthanized several animals. The Sanctuary had many supporters who vouched for the care provided to the animals by the Sanctuary to no avail.

A spokesperson for the BC SPGA said that "Many people are afraid to speak out or come forward because of the risk that they might loose their animals as retaliation by the BC SPCA. Pet owners and guardians here in British Columbia should never have to live with that kind of fear. It's time to let the private charity be charitable and the policing to be fully transferred to the Province."

The BC SPGA has also undertaken to keep British Columbia's rescues and sanctuaries "well alive" by encouraging the public to adopt from no-kill rescues, contribute to and donate to the smaller no-kill rescues that so desperately need the help to care for animals and to support our Rescue and Sanctuary Program.

The list of rescues and sanctuaries raided by the BC SPCA over the years is much larger than one article can cover. The most recent are listed above.

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