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SPCA assistant manager speaking out over lack of transparency

Feb 4, 2019 | 6:15 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – After three years with the Medicine Hat SPCA, assistant manager De Seaton is speaking out against her own management.

She’s decided to go public with her message, alleging a lack of transparency and public accountability hang over the organization.

“I’m not going to stand behind lies and back up this deception that’s going on there, I’ve had enough,” said Seaton.

One case that Seaton points to is the recent euthanization of a boxer-cross named Luhan, who had been experiencing shelter decline after being at the SPCA for around six months.

In CHAT News’ investigation into the allegations, this is the timeline of events we have uncovered regarding Luhan:

December 19, 2018 – Luhan is adopted to a man from Calgary who already owned dogs.  This decision went against recommendations from local dog trainer Tara Martice who had spent time with Luhan. She felt it was best that he go to a home with no other animals.

December 31, 2018 – Luhan is euthanized for aggressive behaviour. Between the time he was adopted and returned to the shelter, Luhan bit his new owner twice.

January 16, 2019 – Video obtained by CHAT News shows no record of Luhan’s euthanization in the SPCA’s euthanasia binder.

January 17-18, 2019 – A Google review is posted online from someone upset to learn Luhan had been put down and questions why access to euthanasia binder was denied.

January 18, 2019 – Luhan’s euthanization record is faxed over to the Medicine Hat SPCA, time stamped at 2:38 pm.

January 19, 2019 – CHAT News confirms someone had added to the log that a dog had been euthanized on December 31, though there was still no official euthanization report on Luhan from the vet clinic inside the binder.

January 21, 2019 – CHAT News questioned SPCA manager Audrey Becker about why Luhan’s report wasn’t in the binder.  She claimed it was there all along

“I know it was there [January 18] because I saw it for myself and our president was here [January 20] and it was in there, so I’m not sure why you didn’t find it,” said Becker.

According to Seaton, she believed Luhan’s euthanization was covered up after seeing the original Google review between January 17 and 18.

“That created panic,” she said. “So, then they put Luhan finally in the binder because they didn’t want the public to know what had happened to Luhan. So, transparency doesn’t exist there.”

As for Martice, she reviewed Luhan in December and recommended against sending him to a home occupied by other dogs.

However, Luhan was adopted by the man from Calgary, a decision the SPCA told us was made after several emails and an in-person meeting.

Becker said last month that it was a sad day at the shelter when they learned Luhan was being sent back to Medicine Hat.

“We were all very heartbroken when we got the phone call from the gentleman,” she said.

But according to Martice, the SPCA completely ignored her opinions and did the opposite of what she believed was best for the dog.

“When my recommendations go ignored and that results in a dog being re-homed into an inappropriate re-homing, and the dog is having to come back in a worse state, then having to be euthanized, that is a failure on taking my recommendations seriously,” said Martice.

CHAT News reached out to both the Medicine Hat SPCA and the SPCA Board of Directors in regards to Seaton’s comments and the latest information about Luhan, however they refused to comment.

This isn’t the only accusation coming from Seaton though, as she claims she was thrown under the bus by the SPCA when two cats were recently euthanized at APARC.

Four outdoor cats were relinquished to the SPCA on January 10 by a man who fed and took care of the animals, wanting to give them a better life.

Seaton was the one who took the cats in for an owner relinquish, something she said she marked down on the SPCA’s form.

Seaton said homes for these outdoor cats could include barnyards and oil patches. However, Seaton was surprised to learn the cats had been transferred to APARC.

The owner relinquishment form has since been whited out near the top, as Seaton claimed SPCA management decided to ignore the owner relinquishment request and elected to declare them feral.

According to a post on APARC’s Facebook page, two of the cats were put down following three days of observation.  The cats had been showing signs of aggression that put staff at risk, with APARC saying they following their proper protocol.

SPCA also charged the man who dropped off the cats $40 as part of an owner relinquishment fee, which has since been refunded to the owners who then decided to donate it to APARC.

Seaton said she knows what she wrote down on the owner relinquishment form and was shocked to see her writing whited out.

“I feel totally betrayed by the whole organization,” she said. “Because, what they’ve done to me is try to throw me under the bus for a complete untruth and a tampering of papers that had nothing to do with me. I am the direct one involved in the cats that came in and I can speak for that.”

Seaton was asked by the Board of Directors not to speak with the media, before being told to leave the SPCA building on Saturday.

She said these types of cases need to be known, especially with so many people donating their money to the organization throughout the year.

“I want to apologize to the public because they’ve been deceived this whole time,” she said. “People bring their animals to us, trusting us that we’re going to do the best for their animals.”

Ultimately, Seaton said she doesn’t know what her future at the SPCA entails, but believes there needs to be a change at the top.

“That’s the only way it’s going to stop, is to replace these people,” she said. “I realize I might never work there again, but it’s not the point. The point is to save the animals, do the right thing, and be honest with the public.”

The Board of Directors will be meeting to discuss these issues on Tuesday, while the SPCA will also be holding their Annual General Meeting on February 13 at the Medicine Hat Library.

That meeting will be open to the public, but only members who have been in good standing with SPCA for a minimum of six months will be allowed to vote on the board.