And what can be so wrong about the S P C A checking to determine if, in fact, animal cruelty is involved by acts animals are forced to perform as part of a circus?
I have refused to support this event for many many years. I have received calls requesting I purchase tickets for children, and I tell them point blank I do not approve of a circus. Nor do I approve of rodeos.
It is ridiculous to bring up the use of dogs trained for the blind, and trained police dogs, and suggest this be stopped. These dogs are companions to a human at all times, not trucked around the country in cages and displayed performing acts which they would never perform normally.
A great deal is definitely NOT humane.
I pity anyone who feels they can promote animal acts to entertain themselves. Limited mentality in my opinion.
Keep up the good work Debbie!!
It is very difficult I am sure to educate many citizens in Prince George, who treat so called pets as disposables. Mistreatment of animals is customary here.
I have no respect for the writer of this article, just as I feel this city has been very lax in providing adequate funding when required for the S P C A.
You bet I support the S P C A.
I just wish all the residents did.

Mr. DeWitt, you said: "If my memory is correct, it was not long ago that the Prince George SPCA could not even come up with funding to run their facility and resorted to moving in with the pound which is a department under City Hall."

I must correct your understanding of the situation. The SPCA had built its own shelter with money provided through the generosity of select people from this community, on property leased from the city at a nominal fee of $1 per year. I believe the term of the agreement was for 5 years and was renewable.

The big "mistake" made was that the facility was constructed in the wrong location since the city decided it wanted to consolidate the property in the Exhibition park area and was planning on using the property for a parking lot adjacent to the new pool.

The SPCA thus lost an investment at the stroke of a pen.

The SPCA had two options, open a new shelter somewhere else by starting all over again, or entering into a contract with the City to operate out of the Pound building and take over their "sheltering" duties.

Those in charge decided to do the latter. That, in turn, resulted in the SPCA becoming a unionized operation due to staff at City Hall being diplaced, leaving some "unhappy campers" on City Hall staff.

While the quarters of the SPCA used to be "humble" and the pay for staff was half way between minumum wage and subsequent union wages, it was able to operate in the black with money from services rendered, plus local fundraising, plus lots of local volunteers helping out at the shelter since there was no union which restricted such volunteer work as there is now.

The Prince George SPCA has run a deficit ever since the forced move and has been receiving funds from the provincial operation close to $100,000 per year.

Now they have added a spay/neuter clinic since people in this community cannot take care of their own animals. According to information provided to the public, that too will be funded thorugh user fees as well as money raised locally through fundraising plus money put in from the provincial operation. In fact, according to news releases the Vancouver Foundation is contributing $50,000 to the clinic's operation.

The proliferation of unwanted domestic animals in this city is not the SPCA's doing, it is the doing of the people in this city. The SPCA, through its volunteers and private donations, including moneys from other parts of the province is trying to deal with the "problem".

Please do your homework before the next time you write rather than spreading false information and becoming part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

let them poke around, i doubt they have the power to do much anyways.

later.....

Mr deWitt. Now onto the matter with the circus.

To start with, unlike dogs and horses, elephants, alligators, lions, etc. are exotic animals and belong in the wild.

Read the linked site to get some information about the circus which you state: "Their expertise in the treatment of animals would be expected to be at an extremely high level."

While the site is from an "animal rights" group, most, if not all the information on it can be corroborated through the agencies who have jurisdiction, such as the USDA. The site is simply a concise compendium of incidents of "reputable animal handlers" as you say.

http://www.circuses.com/fact-ringling.asp

For the SPCA to give such operations carte blanche in the communities they visit would be to abbrogate the duties they have to the animals and the public, and you know that.

link to an elephant sanctuary site which takes abused elephants from circuses.

http://www.elephants.com/sanct.htm

link which explains why, two years ago, an elpehant ws confiscated from other a circus (not Ringling Bros.)

http://www.circuses.com/chart.asp

link to information about a report which deals with USDA "looking the other way" when it comes to the Ringling Bros. Circus. The report was conducted by 3 reputable animal welfare organizations.

http://www.awionline.org/pubs/Quarterly/03-52-4/524p5.htm

Owl!
Nice to see someone else come to the forefront and tell it like it is.
In reference to deWit's articles, I would never want to see an animal entrusted into his care.
Seems to be an example of the standard mind set of Prince George residents and their attitude towards animals.
I strongly support the S P C A and the hundreds of pounds of food I donate yearly I hope does some good.
At the very least-maybe some have the comfort of a full belly as they die.
Not much comfort for my thoughts tho'.
I believe there is a God, and I would hope a price will be paid by those who are cruel to animals.
Can't be severe enough to suit me.

I let a couple ladies move their horses on to a three acre lot. These anaimal were total pets, they even have that stupid West Nile shot. Anyway about two days later the SPCA phones and the "special McBadge" wants know if I am providing water to the horses. I said no, why? She says we just want to confirm the horses have water. I said why do they look deprived or thirsty or what, and who told you to call me and bother me.
As you can see I felt there was more than a little abuse of authority going on here when you can just pick up the phone and p on someone just cause you can. She asked again if I would confirm the horses had access to water. I said get stuffed and hung up. I never heard from the SPCA again.
More people should stand up for themselves and we wouldn't have so many self righteous in your face nosy peeping toms bothering regular people.
Crimminy!
Go sterilize some dog or something.

Mr. deWitt. You said:
"Give Barnum & Bailey the benefit of the doubt and the respect they deserve until there is a complaint lodged."

The linked article is the latest about the company you say should be given the respect they deserve. I assume you know what the term "due diligence" means.

I think most people who know something about due diligence would agree, after reading the linked article, that anyone who is responsible for preventing cruelty to animals would not be doing their due diligence if they did not show up at the local venue.

http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/ringling_bros_circus_comes_to_san_francisco_amid_charges_of_elephant_abuse.html

In part, the article states:
"The lawsuit (in Federal Court in Washington) charges that Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus violates the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in its treatment of Asian elephants. The suit charges that this mistreatment comes in the form of abusive training methods, discipline, confinement of the animals, and separation of baby elephants from their mothers."

Sled guy, give the horses some dam water.

Owl great piece. I think the SPCA is losing touch with the community hiding out in the little dark dead end street they're at now.

How about if they located a new independent one at 5th and Tabor or near another retirement community that the SPCA can use to walk the dogs?

Hey CHADERMANGO - about those horses. I only had city water available, those horses are fed distilled water. You know how crazy people can get about their pets.
The SPCA is another one of the many fanatical groups society puts up with. This one is drunk with power and compassion - bad combination for the rest of us. Some of the nicest folks just have to save the world and have absolutely no problem telling us to step off. Maybe the SPCA could fry up some dogs so we can have a full belly first.

YamaDooPolCat- you are one sick puppy.
Do us a favor and step off the edge- because you have gone over the edge mentally!!!
How can people who love and care for animals listen to this poor lost soul???
Just fills me with disgust.

I think the big "Moose" is right. The people that run this circus would be crazy to do anything against the big, bad SPCA. They have more power than DUBYA.