A step on the right path

From the publicly available online minutes of the February 23, 2009 Meeting of the SPCANS BOD :
8. Cape Breton Site Visit Briefing
Sean Kelly briefed the Board on the visit by himself, Dr. Andrew Morrison and Kat Horne to the Cape Breton branch on the weekend of February 14th, 2009. In addition to the provincial Board members, the meeting was attended by Mel Neville, President of the Cape Breton Branch; Whitfield Best, member of the Cape Breton branch Board of Directors; Patsy Rose, Manager of the Cape Breton SPCA shelter; and Dr. Dave Rozee, advising veterinarian to the Cape Breton SPCA.
Sean reported that the meeting was very positive and that several areas of improvement were identified and discussed. The gas chamber and humane methods for euthanizing were the initial topics for discussion. It was identified that the gas chamber equipment and processes currently in place at the branch were deficient and needed to be addressed promptly. The consensus of those present was that use of the gas chamber should be stopped and the branch would provide the provincial Board with a timeline and plan for eliminating its use. Sean offered to provide a draft intake policy to the branch to address the large number of animals accepted into the shelter.
Other topics discussed included the branch’s open intake policy, practice of euthanizing feral cats and owner-surrendered animals, public and media relations, and how the branch could improve their image in the community and the province. Minutes of the meeting were recorded it was agreed that they would be publicly released. Public Minutes of Meeting of February 23, 2009
The key outcomes of the meeting where: 1) gas chamber use will be eliminated based on a timeline to be provided to the provincial Board before the AGM in April; 2) once a new intake policy is in place, intake of feral cats and owner-surrendered pets for the sole purpose of euthanasia will be stopped.
Actions: Brittany Hilton to provide Sean with information on distinguishing strays from feral cats. Sean to contact Mel Neville to review draft meeting minutes prior to posting on the provincial website.
This is a far cry from a solution, but it IS a start. A good start that outstrips anything previous BOD's have accomplished. Instead of accepting the status quo, this board has actually taken a step down what I suspect will still be a rocky road for some time to come.
There are very few issues that have aroused the ire of the animal loving community quite so much as the continued use by the Cape Breton Branch of the gas chamber. There have been repeated cries to rescind the branch status over this issue.
The gas chamber isn't just an atrocity in its own right. Its existence has enabled the Cape Breton Branch to accept a steady stream of animals surrendered by the owners to be killed. It is an obscenity that has stood in the way of more humane solutions for the feral cat problem in Cape Breton.
Last, but not least, its continued use has tarred every branch in the society with the same dirty brush.
When this issue was first broached in a previous meeting, the branch president couldn't see any solutions past getting sufficient funding to kill the animals by the approved means. Better solutions were discussed that will have a real impact on the lives of the animals in Cape Breton.
I know I've said it before, but its just as true now.... we need to decide whether we need to get even or we want to make a difference. Here in the real world, we rarely, if ever, get to do both.
Does that mean I am content to see the gas chamber still there? Not a chance. But I am fifty four years old, not fourteen .... and am cautiously optimistic that the tide is finally turning.