For Immediate Release
July 10, 2023BC SPCA concealed that they adopted out and euthanized Felicia Allen’s therapy horses
On June 9, 2023 a Notice Of Civil Claim was filed in the BC Supreme Court alleging that the four horses belonging to Felicia Allen were wrongfully seized by the BC SPCA on May 3, 2023 and had not been “abandoned”.
Despite the active claim in the BC Supreme Court, Felicia Allen discovered unexpectedly on July 10, 2023 that the BC SPCA has adopted out two of her therapy horses and euthanized two others. “This is unbelievable,” Felicia Allen said in grief, “The BC SPCA has concealed this from me all along. The Court did not even have the opportunity to consider the claim – the BC SPCA took the law into their own hands. The Counterclaim recently filed by the BC SPCA on July 4, 2023 also lacks any mention of adopting my horses out or killing them. The Amended version filed later announces this alleged unlawful conduct. Yet the BC SPCA is seeking over $30,000 for board and care.”
Felicia Allen has had the four horses, Oliver, Lacey, Coco and Star for 15 to 20 years respectively. “The BC SPCA has done irreversible damage to the horses and I do not have a livelihood any longer. They destroy us and our animals ruthlessly.”
Felicia named others with a similar fate because of BC SPCA actions such as Cherry Latour (Dogway Dog Rescue), Marisa Panter (Rainbow Dream Dachshunds), Zsa Zsa Stiasny (Healing Horses Sanctuary), Elizabeth Parker (rescuer of cats), Carla Christman (a third generation rancher), Kathy Cummings (well regarded horse trainer), Al Magaw (prominent BC Dog trainer), Warren Brundage (Suzaku Sanctuary), and BC animal activists Amy Soranno, Nick Schafer, Roy Sasano, Geoff Regier and many others whose livelihoods or lives have included pets and animals."
Eileen Drever who oversees the BC SPCA animal cruelty investigations is out of control in my view" Felicia says, "We gave her more powers in the Prevention To Animal Cruelty Act to apprehend people who do the unthinkable to animals and puppy or cat mills of all kinds. We gave her the power to make sure that slaughter factories don't abuse the animals which the BC SPCA say they don't want to do. Certainly not to kill our furry family members so ruthlessly and put rescues, sanctuaries, reputable breeders and trainers out of business."
Felicia Allen and the BC SPCA had recently settled out of court and the BC SPCA returned the animals on May 1, 2023. Two days later, Felicia says, “The BC SPCA Regional Manager, Mark Vosper came up “with a plan” to collude with a woman who runs a pasture boarding business Shaylene Bedborough to take the horses again after only two days of having returned them to me! This was despite their own BC SPCA special constable’s conclusions earlier on that day that my horses had not been abandoned nor animal cruelty.”
An investigation had been conducted earlier on the same day on May 3, 2023 by a BC SPCA special constable and an RCMP officer and both concluded that it was a “civil matter”. The BC SPCA’s investigation also concluded that it was “not animal cruelty related” or “abandonment”.
Felicia maintains that “the corruption at the BC SPCA starts at the top and dribbles down to the despair of the poor animals, many of whom loose their lives or their loved ones forever.”
Felicia is fighting the BC SPCA all the way, “They are hounding and causing immeasurable grief to so many people who have been working with or rescuing animals nearly all of their lives. Most recently, Al Magaw, Cherry Latour, Marisa Panter … just to name a few. Read the articles on the internet – we are not animal abusers. We have dedicated our lives to animals. The animals are the real victims they have no say and no protection. The animal guardians have no say or rights against this very moneyed Goliath either.”
Felicia Allen points out that Charity Intelligence Canada shows that the BC SPCA has over $80 million in funding reserves . Allen says, “The organization is certainly not financially struggling like so many BCers are. You would think that they would use some of those many millions for the purposes that they solicited the money for – helping the animals without groveling about their resources being drained.”
Felicia also refers to the recent announcement on June 26, 2023 by the BC government that “The Province is providing $12 million to help build BC SPCA shelter replacements in Vancouver, Duncan, Prince George and Fort St. John” while Felicia points out that “Many BCers can’t even find housing, afford food or transportation costs. It’s ridiculous that BCers go without, their animal family members are seized and they can’t even afford to ‘buy their beloved pets back’ from the BC SPCA even if provided with the chance to have the animals returned.”
The BC Supreme court in an action against the Surrey Animal Resource Center had recently ruled that Felicia’s pot-bellied pig be returned, "I was trying to rebuild our lives after the horrific abuse I suffered from a violent landlord who entered into a fradulent commercial Lease Agreement and destroyed me financially. My livelihood and life purpose has also been destroyed."
As for her horses being adopted out, Felicia “is devastated. I have loved, cared for, and been with the horses every single day since rescuing them from slaughter nearly two decades ago. For all of those years, the BC SPCA found nothing wrong with the four horses. They were waiting to ambush and using the horses to that end. They break the law. They take matters into their own hands. I cannot even find the words to express the deep grief and loss I feel that my animal family is in the hands of strangers and I will never see their beautiful faces or be with them again.”
Felicia would like to thank all of the people who over the many years who have helped her and the rescued animals. "There have been so many outstanding human beings and I want you all to know that without your help and kindness the rescue work would not have been possible. Your special contributions and compassion will be with the animals and myself forever."
Felicia will continue her work as an advocate for animals and animal guardians, "I don't want to see anyone else go through what I have with these evil kind of people. They have no respect for animals and have killed more animals than anyone in this Province. When you give to the BC SPCA instead of the much more deserving smaller, no-kill animal rescues in BC, you are subjecting families and their pets to horrific treatment by the BC SPCA policing section under the pretenses of 'charitable' work. Killing animals who are not healthy is not charitable. Please donate to the smaller rescues where your contribution really does help the animals."
Felicia will keep the fight on for as long as she can for change for animal guardians and their wanted animals and pets. She is also the Founder of a new Society which will "be the Voice for BC Animal Guardians and their beloved pets and animals."
For more information:
Felicia Allen
Contact by email
To visit the Equine Assisted Natural Healing (EANH) web site (now retired), please click here
Articles referred to references:The dogs of Al Magaw: How a prominent B.C. dog trainer lost his pack Some call him a miracle worker, others a dog abuser. Should the BC SPCA have taken Al Magaw’s dogs?
'We'd never mistreat a dog': Rescue operator speaks after B.C. SPCA seizes dozens of dogs
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/we-d-never-mistreat-a-dog-rescue-operator-speaks-after-b-c-spca-seizes-dozens-of-dogs-1.6221436
B.C. dog breeder disputes SPCA claims after seizure of 38 dachshunds near Kamloops
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-dog-breeder-disputes-spca-claims-after-seizure-of-38-dachshunds-near-kamloops-1.5381593?cache=vpigvemdpalu%3FclipId%3D89531
Other resources:
Charity Intelligence Canada
https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/10-bc-spca
sub heading ‘Finances’
“BC SPCA has $86.3m in funding reserves, of which $2.0m is donor endowed.”
“BC SPCA received $43.0m in donations in F2022” and “In F2022 BC SPCA paid external fundraisers $471k to collect $1.2m in donations.”