The BC SPCA has responded to questions from North Shore Local after a petition started by local resident Kelly Bunting alleges dogs at the West Vancouver SPCA shelter are left unattended from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day, a stretch of 14 hours. The petition has gathered more than 1,700 signatures.
According to the petition, dogs at the shelter are left in their kennels with no care or company once staff depart in the evening. The petition says many of the dogs will not soil their kennels, so they must hold their bodily functions for the full 14 hours, causing what it describes as extreme physical discomfort and distress.
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The petition singles out Clyde, a senior dog who spent six weeks at the shelter. It claims Clyde would not soil his kennel and held his bladder and bowels for more than 14 hours a day while also suffering from the heat and loneliness. The petition also claims the facility lacks climate control, exposing animals to uncomfortable temperatures.
The petition notes that both the District of West Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver contract their official municipal pound services to the West Vancouver BC SPCA shelter, and says the municipalities share responsibility for the animals there. It calls on the SPCA and the two councils to immediately mandate at least 12 hours of daily on-site staffing.
Specifically, it asks that staff be present until at least 7 p.m. so volunteer dog walkers can exercise the dogs in an evening window from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and let them relieve themselves after dinner.
In a written response sent Tuesday by BC SPCA communications officer Debra Walley, the organization did not directly confirm or deny the 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. schedule or the 14-hour figure, and did not say whether any staff are on site or on call overnight.
“The BC SPCA is committed to the health and well-being of all the animals in our care and take their welfare seriously,” Walley wrote. “Our processes are developed by our animal behaviour and shelter medicine teams to best meet animals’ needs in the shelter.”
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Walley said the population of animals coming into SPCA care has changed over the years, with many undersocialized, and that staff and volunteers carefully manage their interactions until trust is built. Dogs are walked at least once or twice a day, depending on each dog’s needs, and get bathroom breaks throughout the day, she said.
She said dogs in SPCA care are not solely dependent on scheduled walks for exercise or relief. Many shelter kennels, like those in West Vancouver, are designed so dogs can move between indoor and outdoor spaces, giving them access to fresh air, exercise and toileting based on their needs and preferences throughout the day. Dogs have access to the fronts and backs of kennels through a sliding door, and some have outside access through a gate at the back, she said. Elimination areas are set up within the kennels and compounds for overnight.
On the overnight question, Walley said staff conduct rounds in the morning, throughout the day and in the evenings before the centre closes to assess the comfort, health and well-being of the animals. “If anything is flagged as a concern, the animal will be placed in a foster home overnight prior to the closure of the centre,” she wrote. She added that all centres are alarmed for their security.
She did not speak to Clyde’s case specifically, and did not say whether the West Vancouver staffing schedule is standard across BC SPCA branches.
On climate control, Walley was specific. She said the SPCA adheres to the Canadian standards of care for animal shelters, with temperature gauges in each animal room, underfloor heating in the dog kennels and cat communal rooms, and HVAC systems in place. In summer, she said, the shelter uses portable AC units and other cooling options such as cooling mats, kiddie pools during the daytime, frozen treats and extra water.
On the request to extend evening hours, Walley said: “Extending staff hours has always been a consideration, however, there are many factors to consider including security, health and safety and risk.”
She also said foster care remains an important part of the SPCA’s strategy. When a dog’s individual needs, including health vulnerabilities, would be best met in a foster home with around the clock monitoring, the SPCA actively seeks placement with experienced foster caregivers, she said. Through adoption, transfers and foster placements, the majority of dogs spend relatively short periods in shelters before finding permanent homes, she said, and the focus remains on meeting each dog’s physical, behavioural and emotional needs throughout their stay.
Something needs to be done. That situation is tantamount to cruelty.
Than adopt some animals instead of complaining
That is inhumane. Dogs should not be left alone longer than 5 hours!!
Please write to West Vancouver Mayor and Council and request that they require a minimum of 12 hours staffing at the West Vancouver BC SPCA. They have a contract with the SPCA, and the SPCA is on public land in West Vancouver. Minimum staffing hours can be a requirement for running the shelter.
Please don’t leave animals for such a long time. This seems inhumane to me!
I would like to know if the West Van shelter, and all SPCA shelters, have smoke detectors and sprinklers. What if there’s a fire, there’s no one to help the animals get out. And at the West Van shelter in particular, people can use things like wooden pallets leaned up against the fence to hop over and get into the dog area.
So a variety of things could be going on that are not seen or heard, and the animals could suffer because of it. Canada is very far behind in our regulations regarding Animal Care, both domestic and farm, other G7 nations do much better than us. So to say that they are following the Canadian standard of care for animals and shelter, perhaps that governing body needs to look at their guidelines and improve them.
The SPCA gets an incredible amount of donations. They need to do better for the animals. 14 hours alone is cruel, and six weeks is not a brief time in a shelter. There’s other animals that have had stays in both North VAN and West VAN that need to be reviewed.
Perhaps if people told the SPCA that they are going to discontinue Donations until they do a review and extend their hours in the best interest of the dogs and cats, that might get the motivate the SPCA to change, or to answer questions directly.
It is a betrayal of the public’s trust that there is not 24/7 care and comfort for shelter animals. My own sister is a monthly donor to the SPCA, and gives on the understanding that the animals are being protected and their needs met with kindness and consideration. It is disturbing that dogs are being left so long without the opportunity to relieve themselves: that they are meant to soil their own area if needed is going to render them unadoptable, as they will feel it must be okay to relieve themselves inside the house. The animals are fearful enough being in shelter surroundings – to have no reassurance nor even the comfort, for Clyde at least, of a bed, makes me sad. I am so sorry that this is even an issue, but so grateful that a brave volunteer has brought this distressing situation to light.
Staff it to 10 pm and the problem should be solved as 10 pm all pets should be set for the night ideally.
The are where the soca is located should not be a security risk with athletes and coaches and sports teams often there until at least 8 or 9 pm. For dogs that are found or lost it would be helpful as well given that the private animal hospital has now closed that was on Line that used to pick up a lot of the slack.. if a Pat is lost having me SPCA open later might help everybody concerned because it’s more likely that people would have an opportunity to pick up their dog if a Lost Dog was found and brought to the SPCA.
I don’t think that the concern is about any one dog in particular, although fostering is an option. It’s of course not always possible so having an extension of the hours open for SPCA seems to be the best situation..
This is still a better situation than the North Vancouver District “make shift” facility. A far cry from perfect, but better. There are “animal centric” staff at the SPCA during the day as well as volunteers (people that want to be with and help these animals). It seems that when it comes down to the governing officials regarding animal welfare / husbandry, the issue slips down the priority list whether it be domestic or wild animals. Considering densification mandates over the last couple of years, there has not been any motion to upgrade any animal welfare facilities, in fact the DNV closed their managed shelter and have a make shift building on Capilano Road that is currently empty other than Security guards, hence very limited human interaction other than toileting and food – the West Vancouver SPCA is managing increased animal welfare issues from the North Shore as well as West Vancouver
Debra is a very reliable source of information for your concerns to be andweref
Debra is a very reliable source of information for your concerns to be addressed. Perhaps volunteers could work at night. I believe volunteers are at east Vancouver’s shelter in the evening.