– By Virginia Watson-Rouslin –
When Erika Paul chose to move from Cowichan Valley’s SPCA operations to Victoria’s branch in 2007, she was in for a surprise. Though this area had a record of laying almost no charges of animal cruelty and that did seem odd, still she thought she was moving to a relatively peaceful place – for humans and for animals. “I thought I’d be walking into Disneyland, the place of hanging flower baskets, where the Legislative building lit up at night.”
But Erika Paul, Senior Animal Protection and Outreach Officer, soon learned that life for many animals in Greater Victoria was short and brutal and that she had much to do. Her first case involved a starving pit bull and this had the hallmark of many cases she would see through the years. As often happens, a Good Samaritan had called the SPCA to report the problem. When Erika arrived, she saw the dog was emaciated, but “the owner was adamant that his dog was getting fed twice a day.” This difference of opinion meant that Erika had to get an order for a vet to see the dog; the vet said the dog had no underlying condition, no parasites, he was simply starving. Next stop: Erika filed and received a warrant to remove the dog and then asked the Crown to lay charges. In this case, the owner was charged with cruelty, fined and given a prohibition against owning animals. “These owners never seem embarrassed,” says Ms. Paul. “They’re more annoyed that you’re picking on them.” Owners believe that the animal is their property and that they have the right to treat their animal as they wish.
Along with strengthened provincial legislation on animal abuse, some municipalities are also doing their best to increase penalties on animal abuse, including North Saanich which now restricts the number of cats allowed per owner. Erika, a Brentwood Bay resident, remembers being called to a North Saanich residence where the neighbours suspected a woman of hoarding cats. Sure enough, there were 20 felines all in small cages, so small they couldn’t stand up.
On a warm spring day, I travel with Erika on her daily rounds. We visit a place where horses from the carriage trade live, to check on how the new shelter for them is progressing (because of our damp climate, Victoria regulations now require this). We listen to a licensed pest control owner ask what steps he can and cannot take to deal with an overpopulation of cats on a reserve. And we make our way out to North Saanich to see how a young bay horse is doing. She’s being boarded and taken care of, but is suffering from colic. That’s because she has spurs on her teeth, tearing the insides of her mouth, making it impossible for her to properly digest her food. As is often the case, a Good Samaritan, not the horse’s owner, called the SPCA.
Sometimes in recounting her work, Erika’s eyes will tear up. She sees mostly the downside of animal welfare. But she also sees hope in the next generation of school children, now being taught about responsible animal ownership. “I do this because I can,” she says. “And I ask myself, ‘who else would do it?'”
To report animal abuse call 1.855.622.7722 or email callcentre@spca.bc.ca
