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July 2013
Issue 125

Despite having just one eye, Gertrude would easily win any beauty contest—after all, true beauty comes from within and this girl is stunning, inside and out!

Click to read Gertrude's adoption profile.

Which is the first humane society to be accredited by Imagine Canada? It's us!

The BC SPCA is now among an elite group of Canadian organizations to be accredited by Imagine Canada, the national umbrella for charities and nonprofits.

Imagine Canada announced on June 18 that the BC SPCA had received accreditation status through its Standards Program, a Canada-wide set of shared standards for charities and nonprofits designed to demonstrate their compliance in five fundamental areas: financial accountability and transparency; board governance; fundraising; staff management and volunteer involvement.

Owner of Captain receives lifetime ban

Brian Whitlock, the man who pleaded guilty to a vicious attack on his two-year-old German shepherd last year, was sentenced on June 12 to a lifetime ban on owning animals, a 60-day jail term and three years’ probation.

Whitlock was charged with animal cruelty in December of 2012 following a BC SPCA investigation into the death of Captain, who was found wrapped in a bloody blanket inside a Vancouver dumpster on July 18, 2012.

Pet-friendly housing at Vancouver City Council

Vancouver is moving towards greater support for pet-friendly rental housing after a motion to “Support Renters With Pets” passed in a majority vote at a recent Vancouver City Council meeting. 

The BC SPCA attended the meeting to speak about the need for more pet-friendly housing and we’re happy to be included in a stakeholder process that will bring forward recommendations to City Council. Read more…

Wild about photography

Get ready to showcase your photography skills and our province’s spectacular wildlife! The fifth annual Wildlife-In-Focus  photography contest is now open until Sept. 30.

Contest categories are ‘Backyard Habitats’ and ‘Wild Settings.’ Winners will be featured in a future issue of AnimalSense magazine and receive a great prize. All proceeds from the contest support Wild ARC, the BC SPCA’s wildlife rehabilitation facility on southern Vancouver Island.

Scotiabank & BC SPCA Paws for a Cause

Choose SPCA Certified this BBQ season

For many people, summer is barbecue season. This year, serve SPCA Certified chicken, beef, lamb or pork instead of factory farmed meats.

The SPCA Certified program has been dedicated to improving farm animal welfare since its launch in 2002. In 2012 alone, over one million farm animals were raised to SPCA Certified standards!

So if your family eats meat, eggs or dairy products, choose SPCA Certified foods and ensure farm animals have lead healthier, more natural, cage-free lives. Learn more about how you can help improve the lives of farm animals…

SPCA Certified welcomes Hazelsprings Organics Farm to the SPCA Certified program!

Owned and operated by the Clarke family, Hazelsprings Organics Farm is a 3,000-hen organic egg farm in Chilliwack, B.C. The Clarke’s vision is to provide their birds with a high quality of life in as natural an environment as possible.

A warm welcome to Hazelsprings Organics Farm and the Clarkes! Where to buy…

SPCA youth camps filling fast!

Do you know a child who loves animals? There are still spaces available in the BC SPCA’s Among Animals summer camps hosted in 17 communities across B.C., including an expanded camp program at the new Kelowna family-friendly education centre.

Find a location near your family.  Learn more and register online.

Summer days are packed with paws-ibilities… Make the BMOst of it!

Earn 500 AIR MILES® reward miles and support BC SPCA!  Click here for more details. Terms and conditions apply.

New farming codes mandate higher welfare standards for horses and pigs

One of Canada’s top veterinary specialists in equine medicine, the BC SPCA’s Dr. Bettina Bobsien, helped develop a new code of practice that will bring significant improvements in welfare standards for horses.

The new equine code also addresses the  issue of horse neglect, which will help the BC SPCA enforce animal cruelty laws.

Now through August 3, you can also comment on the draft Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs.

Dog tethering and other issues addressed by pending Capital Regional District bylaw changes

New animal-friendly bylaws for communities in and around southern Vancouver Island are pending approval by the Capital Regional District (CRD).

Earlier this year, the BC SPCA approached the CRD with a proposal to enhance existing animal control bylaws to allow for enforcement and education around animal care standards like sufficient water, food, shelter, vet care and issues like tethered dogs and dogs in hot cars.

Donor of the month: Hill's Pet Nutrition

This July, the BC SPCA is recognizing long-time supporter, Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

Because of Hill’s, we are able to feed our shelter animals consistent, high quality food throughout our 36 branches in B.C. This contribution ensures the animals’  long term health and improves readiness for adoption.

The BC SPCA is grateful to Hill’s for their continued generosity and we invite our branches to name homeless animals “Buddy” this month in their honour. 

Paw Patter

Beaches are a great place to picnic and… give birth?

Beginning in late June, beaches along the coast are transformed into harbour seal nurseries. Female seals come ashore to give birth, nurse and protect their young. They leave to make short feeding trips, gradually staying away longer as the pups develop.

So, should you spot a seal pup while at the beach, remember to stay back and keep people and pets away. For more information, check out our other seal pup tips.

Click to find BC SPCA events coming up this month!