At a time where tariffs loom and the population is struggling to meet basic survival needs, the (former) Deputy Director of the Ministry Of Agriculture, Peter Pokorny, met with "seasoned representatives" during several Advisory Committee meetings on the fate of "animals farmed for food" in our province. The representatives who were not invited include farm animal rescues representation, sanctuaries representation, public representation, indigenous peoples representation, climate action or environmentalist representation (considering that animal agriculture is one the biggest contributors to climate change) or even the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) representation.
The Report that was generated, The BC Farmed Animal Welfare Recommendations Report recommended that a new function be created in the BC Ministry Of Agriculture to take over enforcement of the Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals Act (PCA Act) as regards farmed animals. This would involve the Agricultural ministry hiring a team of trained constables and the provincial government should use the public purse to "fully fund" the inspection and enforcement function of animals used for meat by allocating more funds to the existing Agricultural ministry budget.
A spokesperson for the BC SPGA said that, "The public pays for animal policing services in the Province. Animal policing needs to be centralized and overseen by the Province and not by several Ministries, Municipalities, and a private charity. The cost to the public with the over-policing of people with pets in the Province is quite frankly astronomical."
It was pointed out in the Report that "as a province we have relied on donations to support the enforcement work of the SPCA for far too long, an approach that is outdated and in need of rectification." The Committee did not mention that public donations have created a $104+ million dollar surplus for the BC SPCA according to their audited financial statements and that the people whose animals are seized by the BC SPCA must pay the BC SPCA costs as written in the Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals legislation ultimately creating a profit for the private charity's animal policing operations.
Province Needs To Fully Fund Ministerial Enforcement and Inspections
The Report stated that the "provincial government needs to fully fund the enforcement of the PCA ACT" exclusively for farmed animals: This is because the BC SPCA do not want to use their extensive financial surplus to inspect how farm animals used for meat are cared for and transported to slaughter facilities.
A spokesperson for the BC SPGA said that, "The only private charity in British Columbia that has the financial means to police all animals is the BC SPCA which they refuse to do."
BC SPGA agrees in principle with surveys over the past two years that the provincial government needs to provide the full enforcement of the Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals Act for all animals and relieve the public of the over-policing of people with pets as it currently exists in the Province. The SPCA was not formed with the intention to police people with pets and a centralized provincial policing unit as in Ontario frees up the private charity's resouces for the sole purpose of helping all animals.
The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General mission is to develop public safety policy and legislation and deliver associated services and programs.
BC government, Ministry Of Public Safety and Solicitor General
Be an angel, star or saint
BC SPGA has been consistently supportive of the provincial government overtaking animal policing for companion and farmed animals as in Ontario. Our public surveys agree that animal policing should be subject to scrutiny and oversight which the BC SPCA is not.
More profit to the BC SPCA
The Report recommended that the Ministry Of Agriculture be alloted "appropriate funding" to pay the BC SPCA "for responding to PCA complaints in regard to farmed animals." The BC SPCA has been handsomely paid by public donations amounting to the highest non-profit animal society surplus in the country and the Report would have BC'ers foot the bill again.
A spokesperson from the BC SPGA said, "There is absolutely no case to be made for any provincial Ministry paying the BC SPCA for animal enforcement since the legislation provides that the BC SPCA can collect their costs from the public whom they take the animals from. The public already funds animal enforcement in our Province there is no need to duplicate those public costs again."
Are BCers overun with the costs of animal enforcement?
The British Columbia public pay the animal enforcement costs of all of the municipalities, the BC SPCA , the RCMP, the BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, the appeals Farm Tribunal and the Courts. The Farm Report does not consider whether the Report's recommendations are even financially feasible.
A spokesperson for the BC SPGA said, "The Report with the opinions of a selected few does not fully represent the public view. Farmed animals should be policed no differently than companion animals and that the BC SPCA wants the provincial government to also pay them for animal enforcement is pure greed in view of the public's donations generosity as demonstrated by their $104+ million surplus."
Recommendation for a Committee to consider BC animal enforcement
The BC SPGA recommends that the provincial government form a Committee to consider animal enforcement in the Province. A spokesperson for the BC SPGA said that "There is certainly a need for oversight of animal enforcement. The cost to the public for animal enforcement should be minimal with maximum efficiency. People who have pets in BC are struggling with huge costs above and beyond the rest of the public. The time has come to consider the needs of people with pets and the most efficient use of public funds for animal policing which is currently scattered among several stakeholders rather than a central administration."