By land, sea and air

It’s hard to believe, but Melvin, this adorable one and a half year old terrier cross, was abandoned on the Metlakatla ferry near Prince Rupert. Picked up by the local SPCA, he was sent by Hawkair, along with another dog and several cats, to Vancouver International Airport. There, he and his travel-mates were met by a volunteer  who drove them to the BC SPCA West Vancouver Branch. Within days Melvin had been assessed, neutered, and adopted into his new family.

Many animals come to the BC SPCA West Vancouver Branch through the society’s Drive for Lives transfer program. This invaluable program works to ensure that adoptable animals throughout the province are given a chance to find their forever families by transfering animals from one BC SPCA branch to another, thus providing an opportunity to be accessible to more potential adopters. In 2010, more than 5,500 animals were given a happy new start, simply by transferring them from one location to another.

In 2011, the West Vancouver Branch has adopted out over 400 animals. These include animals surrendered by north shore residents for various reasons, animals found loose in the municipality and unclaimed, and animals transferred from nearby areas lacking the facilities to give them the medical treatment and care they need (Squamish, Pemberton) as well as those transferred from other parts of the province.

The rehoming results from the Drive for Lives progam are amazing. Rita, for example, was a 13 year old mixed breed dog who needed major dental work. Sent from the BC SPCA Prince Rupert Branch to the West Vancouver Branch, she had her teeth attended to and quickly got adopted.  Some transfers are within the same region but between branches: Zoe, a black domestic cat, had been in West Vancouver for some months. She had issues with other cats and was not suited to the communal rooms at the shelter, but once she was transferred to the BC SPCA Vancouver Branch, she too was adopted.

Thank you to all the staff and volunteers who help to make the Drive for Lives program work.

The BC SPCA is a non-profit organization funded primarily by public donations. Our mission is to prevent cruelty and to promote the welfare of animals through a wide range of services, including cruelty investigations, emergency rescue and treatment, sheltering and adoption of homeless and abused animals, humane education, advocacy, farm animal welfare, spay/neuter programs, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.