RE: FEB. 28 LETTER, ‘MORE THAN NUMBERS ON A BALANCE SHEET’

There have been a couple of highprofile animal cruelty cases in the province recently and with that can come the circulation of misinformation. In response to one such letter to the editor (“LETTER: More than numbers on a balance sheet” Feb 28/19), perhaps if the writer had taken some time to become acquainted with the wonderful work the Nova Scotia SPCA has been accomplishing to improve animal welfare across the province, she would realize that the misguided policies she quoted just do not exist or apply here in Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia SPCA does not adopt any policy that acts as a barrier to admitting an animal who needs help. Our no-kill mandate is not a “dangerous policy” but a confirmation that we are committed to never euthanizing a healthy animal for space or because of the high cost of medical care. Through the many initiatives we have implemented over the past five years like the Prevent Unwanted Pets (PUP) Program, various World Spay Day events and our Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) projects, there has been a significant decline of unwanted animals. Projects like these have resulted in the SPCA Veterinary Team performing over 16,000 spay and neuter surgeries. This has given us the ability to recently launch “Open Admission” where we do not leave an owner without options — together we figure out how to best help the pet. The SPCA’s goal is to help owners explore their options, and if re-homing is the best fit, we will take the animal into our care. Thanks to our strong network of shelters and foster homes, we have been able to accomplish this incredible feat. We do not refuse to help the animals on the basis of age, medical status or for the sake of fees. We do ask people if they can afford to donate to help with the care of the animal they are surrendering as we are a charity and receive no government funding for our animal shelters. There is still much work to be done, as is highlighted especially by the recent high-profile cruelty cases, but the SPCA is here to help. We encourage everyone, if you find yourself in a crisis and unable to care for your pet, please reach out for help! The SPCA is dedicated to the welfare of all companion animals. If you have questions about any of our policies, please visit our website at www.novascotiaspca.ca Elizabeth Murphy, Nova Scotia SPCA CEO