Mailbox

Oppose destruction
of unwanted animals

Dear Editor: -

.. Prior to 1976 the B.C. .SPCA

“ destroyed approximately 79,000
animals per year. Probably as
Many more died from starvation,
disease or injury on the streets and
in back lanes.

After years of hard work Mr.
Jack Homes, Dr. C. Collin, and
many other interested citizens were
able, in 1976, to open the low cost
spay and neuter clinic at 1205 East

* 7th Avenue in Vancouver.

From the beginning it has been
an overwhelming © success, both
servicewise and moneywise. In
(1985 the SPCA destroyed only
9,000 animals, and this clinic must
be given, a great deal of credit for
this | spectacular’ reduction - in
‘numbers killed.

The: clinic: performs, on the
‘average, 35 to 40 spays and neuters

« daily, treats 20 to 30 sick or in-
jured animals, and administers 35
to 50 vaccinations daily as well —
all at low.cost,; 2.cost within: the
reach. of .most ‘of. the citizens. of.
Vancouver’ and surrounding areas.

Now, i in 1986, when other cities

» are .working . feverishly. to: model
their: low cost SPCA.clinics after

ours, some ® members of the SPCA |

executive, in co-operation with the
Animal Welfare Committee, are
negotiating with
Veterinarians’ Society to reduce
the service and hand over the spay-
ing and neutering to the private
veterinarians, who, according to
Dr. J.A. Forsythe, Secre-
tary-Treasurer and Registrar of the
B.C. Veterinarian Medical
Association, cannot guarantee that
prices would remain as they are.

This is absolutely shocking to
many members of the SPCA, and
a death blow to some of the volun-
teer societies who work very hard
to assist low income people with
spay, neuter, vaccination and med-
ical care of their animals.

These same volunteer societies
help large numbers of stray anim-
nals, and cannot survive without
this low cost SPCA facility. If the
spay/neuter clinic closes it will be
only a few short years before
79,000. more animals will be
destroyed annually.

The. questionnaire to~ which

clients: would be subjected: under .

the proposed system,-as suggested ©
by the Animal-Welfare Committee,
is totally unacceptable to our low

-income citizens -— - perhaps even

involving: human Tights. It is em-

Grandchildren will be free

(Oné:: hundred ‘iyears* ago - Van-
City was. founded. Le

if years: "ago. the North Shore

was an isolated community. of ittle

Bowl. Recreations lease. will have
expired (actually in.2034) and the

grandchildren’ of ‘the present resi-

dents may once ‘again be: free to
walk their mountain trails, and. ski.

‘the pa

West

Oriental Rugs —' Textiles.

-Accessories, —

See.a Rollshutter

_. mounted on our”.
‘shop window

import & Export
nS 22-0579" oS

NOISE REDUCTION
~~ and above all
absolute PRIVACY

For free estimates
give us a call .
or drop in.

il PACIFIC WESTERN INDUSTRIES LTD.
~ 1547 Welch St., N. Vancouver
Business: 987-1577, Res: 987-1531

the B.C...

barrassing enough to be~ poor
without being harassed about it.
We submit that this committee is
completely out of touch with peo-
ple, and question how much con-
cern they have for the welfare of
animals.

It cannot be emphasized too
strongly that we have no quarrel
with all veterinarians, many of
whom help us in our work with
reduced fees. We would welcome
the lowering of spay/neuter fees by
veterinarians generally, to the level
charged by the SPCA clinic, and
would suggest that they advertise.
these prices and, in our free enter-
prise system, compete with ‘the ©
SPCA clinic in the same way that
other businesses must compete.

It is interesting to note that the
Victoria SPCA are in the process
of opening a low cost spay/neuter
clinic later this year and are receiv-
ing fierce opposition from the Vic-
toria Veterinarian’s Society. Does _
this not tell us something?

We strongly urge all concerned
citizens to make their opposition
known to Mr. Michael Weeks,
1205 East 7th Avenue, Vancouver,

B.C... VST IR1. We must not allow ©

our -SPCA: spay/neuter clinic to
close.

7 - Friday, May 9, 1986 -

“129.

tant Tr:

CAPILANO MALL 987-8904 © LOUGHEED. MALL 420-9005

Olive Sellens

. Secretary-Treasurer :
Ald to Animals in Distress

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