Comments on: The BC-SPCA responds to my open letter http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624 you are what you eat ... Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:20:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Janice Gillett http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624&cpage=1#comment-5701 Janice Gillett Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:54:43 +0000 http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624#comment-5701 Oh i bet the next dinner will be and really the SPCA has come a long way from simply being a cat dog shelter in the last 15 years. Of course we would all like to see change faster and Canadians need to start looking at there own Farm Animal Sanctuaries. There are very few of us here in B.C. and any one just doing farm animals are struggling right accross Canada. The few of us who are doing it would love to get from behind the wheel barrow and roll up our sleeves to do more advocate work. But the realitiy of our activisum is running the sanctuary 24/7 with full time paying jobs. We can do more..right now. The SPCA is only one factor in the grand scheme of things. Let them do there thing and help us do more. I would love to see a walk done for Canadian Farm Animal Sanctuaries. ;o)) Oh i bet the next dinner will be and really the SPCA has come a long way from simply being a cat dog shelter in the last 15 years. Of course we would all like to see change faster and Canadians need to start looking at there own Farm Animal Sanctuaries. There are very few of us here in B.C. and any one just doing farm animals are struggling right accross Canada. The few of us who are doing it would love to get from behind the wheel barrow and roll up our sleeves to do more advocate work. But the realitiy of our activisum is running the sanctuary 24/7 with full time paying jobs. We can do more..right now. The SPCA is only one factor in the grand scheme of things. Let them do there thing and help us do more. I would love to see a walk done for Canadian Farm Animal Sanctuaries. ;o))

]]> By: Addie Bee http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624&cpage=1#comment-5699 Addie Bee Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:11:49 +0000 http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624#comment-5699 My guess is that the BCSPCA has a board and a base of donation-givers who are big, guilty meat-eaters --who like cats and dogs and maybe bunnies but that's it; so that the mere mention of vegetarianism sends chills down the spines of those who fear offending the money-bags and bosses. It's ridiculous because it would be easy to get around all of this--to put vegetarianism/veganism forward slowly and carefully and to work on communicating a food policy in a positive way. They could have pasta nights and lots of beautiful veggies and wine and no one would even notice that a dead pig wasn't on their plate. Instead, they take the easy way out and put hypocrisy at the core of their world. My guess is that the BCSPCA has a board and a base of donation-givers who are big, guilty meat-eaters –who like cats and dogs and maybe bunnies but that’s it; so that the mere mention of vegetarianism sends chills down the spines of those who fear offending the money-bags and bosses.
It’s ridiculous because it would be easy to get around all of this–to put vegetarianism/veganism forward slowly and carefully and to work on communicating a food policy in a positive way. They could have pasta nights and lots of beautiful veggies and wine and no one would even notice that a dead pig wasn’t on their plate.
Instead, they take the easy way out and put hypocrisy at the core of their world.

]]> By: sarah http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624&cpage=1#comment-5695 sarah Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:23:04 +0000 http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624#comment-5695 Hi Janice Thank YOU for all the hard work you do. Kisses to you and the pigs. xoxo SARAH Hi Janice
Thank YOU for all the hard work you do.
Kisses to you and the pigs.
xoxo
SARAH

]]> By: Janice Gillett http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624&cpage=1#comment-5694 Janice Gillett Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:14:43 +0000 http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624#comment-5694 Sarah, thank you for going public and making a stand for animals in food production. All change begins somewhere and the SPCA will evolve as the public demands it. When i first started bringing pigs home, livestock for the most were simply shipped to auction. Pot bellied pigs were kept in dog kennels on hard cement surfaces with a bucket for water. Now we see them on surfaces covered in sawdust with big piles of hay and a water dish they can drink out of. Farm animals are seized along with our precious cats and dogs and are put up for adoption too. Change will come as long as we keep speaking out on there behalf. Keep Pork Off Your Fork! Janice Gillett Hearts On Noses A Mini Pig Sanctuary in Maple Ridge British Columbia, Canada I walked into the heart of a friend, and found a home http://heartsonnoses.com/ http://heartsonnoses.blogspot.com Sarah, thank you for going public and making a stand for animals in food production.
All change begins somewhere and the SPCA will evolve as the public demands it. When i first started bringing pigs home, livestock for the most were simply shipped to auction. Pot bellied pigs were kept in dog kennels on hard cement surfaces with a bucket for water. Now we see them on surfaces covered in sawdust with big piles of hay and a water dish they can drink out of. Farm animals are seized along with our precious cats and dogs and are put up for adoption too. Change will come as long as we keep speaking out on there behalf.
Keep Pork Off Your Fork!

Janice Gillett
Hearts On Noses
A Mini Pig Sanctuary in Maple Ridge
British Columbia, Canada
I walked into the heart of a friend, and found a home

http://heartsonnoses.com/
http://heartsonnoses.blogspot.com

]]> By: Holly http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624&cpage=1#comment-5603 Holly Mon, 12 Oct 2009 02:29:51 +0000 http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624#comment-5603 @Dave: "Animal advocates need to be advocates for ALL animals." I disagree with this statement. If the SPCA changed their mission statement to say, "We protect <i>pets</i> from cruelty", then I would have no problem with their policies and actions re serving meat at their events, etc, because they would not be hypocrites: they would be following their own mission statement, which would not include farm animals. Just like some cancer charities that fund treatment for only one kind of cancer - that's fine, as long as they don't <i>claim</i> to support more than one. And that's where I have a problem with the BC SPCA: that they <i>claim</i> to advocate for the protection of all animals, with their mission statement with the "five freedoms" - and then they go and violate their OWN MANDATE by serving meat at their events. That's the problem I have with them: their hypocrisy. They need to make their actions consistent with their mission statement - and that means they either need to change their actions so that they truly protect <i>all</i> animals from cruelty, OR change their mission statement to only include cats and dogs. @Dave: “Animal advocates need to be advocates for ALL animals.” I disagree with this statement. If the SPCA changed their mission statement to say, “We protect pets from cruelty”, then I would have no problem with their policies and actions re serving meat at their events, etc, because they would not be hypocrites: they would be following their own mission statement, which would not include farm animals. Just like some cancer charities that fund treatment for only one kind of cancer – that’s fine, as long as they don’t claim to support more than one.

And that’s where I have a problem with the BC SPCA: that they claim to advocate for the protection of all animals, with their mission statement with the “five freedoms” – and then they go and violate their OWN MANDATE by serving meat at their events. That’s the problem I have with them: their hypocrisy.

They need to make their actions consistent with their mission statement – and that means they either need to change their actions so that they truly protect all animals from cruelty, OR change their mission statement to only include cats and dogs.

]]> By: granuaile http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624&cpage=1#comment-5591 granuaile Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:50:56 +0000 http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624#comment-5591 I am not a vegan, but really... if you are all pro-animals and stuff, really WHY NOT serve/eat vegan food? To the SPCA: put your money where your mouth is! Or practice what you preach? I am not a vegan, but really… if you are all pro-animals and stuff, really WHY NOT serve/eat vegan food?

To the SPCA: put your money where your mouth is! Or practice what you preach?

]]> By: John http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624&cpage=1#comment-5589 John Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:53:07 +0000 http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624#comment-5589 Allen, they are an animal protection group, they should not be eating animals at their events, etc. I would go as far as question their employees' integrity if they work there and eat meat, consume dairy, wear leather etc. How hypocritical is that? That doesn't mean that they shouldn't help animals that are being exploited by the food industry, they should, but they need to do it in a more progressive, strategic manner. By promoting animal products that they call "ethical" through their "happy meat" programs, they actually obstruct change. How much more progress could be made if they would focus their energy on spreading a vegan message? How many factory farms could go out of business and as such how many animals could be saved? Instead they insist on focusing on the "happy meat" concepts, which will only create a different generation of animal exploiters. Allen, they are an animal protection group, they should not be eating animals at their events, etc. I would go as far as question their employees’ integrity if they work there and eat meat, consume dairy, wear leather etc. How hypocritical is that?

That doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t help animals that are being exploited by the food industry, they should, but they need to do it in a more progressive, strategic manner.

By promoting animal products that they call “ethical” through their “happy meat” programs, they actually obstruct change.

How much more progress could be made if they would focus their energy on spreading a vegan message? How many factory farms could go out of business and as such how many animals could be saved?

Instead they insist on focusing on the “happy meat” concepts, which will only create a different generation of animal exploiters.

]]> By: sarah http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624&cpage=1#comment-5588 sarah Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:36:13 +0000 http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624#comment-5588 Did. Nobody was interested. In fact I was discouraged at every juncture. And more importantly Allen, an organization such as this needs to be transparent with it's operating policies. That is why I made my letter to them public so that everyone could see the hypocrisy. It's a shame they didn't rise to the occasion and decide to be leader in the community and set an example to other animal advocacy groups. As for motive. My motive is to help this group (that I think does fabulous work) make a positive change in the antiquated way they do their fundraising. I said it before and I'll say it again - If you dedicate your life to serving animals (like the employees/volunteers of the SPCA do) then you shouldn't also "serve" animals as food at fundraising functions. I don't know what's so suspect about that... Did. Nobody was interested. In fact I was discouraged at every juncture.

And more importantly Allen, an organization such as this needs to be transparent with it’s operating policies. That is why I made my letter to them public so that everyone could see the hypocrisy. It’s a shame they didn’t rise to the occasion and decide to be leader in the community and set an example to other animal advocacy groups.

As for motive. My motive is to help this group (that I think does fabulous work) make a positive change in the antiquated way they do their fundraising. I said it before and I’ll say it again – If you dedicate your life to serving animals (like the employees/volunteers of the SPCA do) then you shouldn’t also “serve” animals as food at fundraising functions. I don’t know what’s so suspect about that…

]]> By: Allen http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624&cpage=1#comment-5587 Allen Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:22:58 +0000 http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624#comment-5587 Your motive is still questionable to me. If you were a member of the Victoria cc, why did you not use this angle to target head office? Your motive is still questionable to me. If you were a member of the Victoria cc, why did you not use this angle to target head office?

]]> By: sarah http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624&cpage=1#comment-5586 sarah Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:39:31 +0000 http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624#comment-5586 Allen If you read my open letter ... you will see that I did try to make a change at the Victoria SPCA but to no avail. That is when I decided to target head-office and request them to change their mandate so it would be a provincial wide policy. Also in my letter I talk about the amazing work that the staff/volunteers do on a daily basis. Please READ my letter again ... with fresh eyes. I think you may have missed a few key elements. :) Allen
If you read my open letter … you will see that I did try to make a change at the Victoria SPCA but to no avail. That is when I decided to target head-office and request them to change their mandate so it would be a provincial wide policy. Also in my letter I talk about the amazing work that the staff/volunteers do on a daily basis. Please READ my letter again … with fresh eyes. I think you may have missed a few key elements. :)

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