Open letter to the Collie Club of South Africa I, Michael Alberts, as a member of the Collie Club of South Africa, would like to express my total disgust with the involvement of the Club in the matter between Mrs Ashton and Mr Spurrier and the ‘rescuing’ of the dogs. As a member I was never notified or requested to give any input into the discussions/decisions of the committee in this regard and would like to distance myself from what I believe is Animal Cruelty. I have the following questions for which I require a formal reply. Was the Collie Club of South Africa mandated by Mr Spurrier or the court to assist in the removal of the dogs? If so, please provide a copy of the request. Did the committee apply due consideration and discuss the request? If so, please provide a copy of the minutes of this meeting. Was due consideration given to the exposure of the Club in acting out on such a request? Was the welfare of the dogs ever taken into consideration when taking the decision to follow out on the request? Did the Club investigate or attempt to establish if these circumstances require/call for a rescue to be done? Has the Club ever gotten involved in ‘rescuing’ dogs in a situation as this? Is there any precedence to substantiate the level of involvement of the Club to this extent? If there is no precedence, on what basis was the decision made to get involved at this level? Which Committee members were involved in taken the decision for the Club to get involved in ‘rescuing’ these dogs? Is the Club indemnified should anything happen to these dogs, whilst they are in the care of the Collie Club? What are the rehoming plans for these dogs? Where are the dogs at moment and was an impartial home check done? With regards to the dogs being ‘rescued’ by the Club they will need to be spayed and neutered as per the procedures and guidelines of the rescue scheme. Was Mr Spurrier ever notified of this requirement of the rescue scheme? I am concerned that the actions taken by the Committee in the ‘rescuing’ of these dogs was done without taking into account the reputation of the Club and the exposure that such action would draw. In my mind the Committee did not act in the best regard of the Club. With the mission statement of the Club being: ‘To promote, encourage, foster and advance the breeding, well-being of and interest in the Collie (Bearded, Border, Rough and Smooth) breed of dogs. To observe and adhere to the breed standards of the Collie breeds, as adopted from time to time by the Kennel Union of Southern Africa. To organise and hold shows. To promote a better understanding of dogs and a wider knowledge of dogs and dog affairs and to promote goodwill both among people interested in dogs and towards dogs ‘ I feel that the decision makers in this regard have failed in the above by totally disregarding the well-being of the dogs concerned. The video that was posted on social media is testament to this fact. Any person with moral integrity and a love for dogs would have never removed a dog in such clear distress out of a safe, loving and nurturing home. Any dog loving, caring person would have seen that the dog is in distress and would have attempted to make alternate arrangements and recommendations in this regard. I fear that members of the Committee involved in this have used and abused their power under the auspices of the Collie Club of South Africa and have brought the Club into disrepute and I therefore call for a vote of no confidence in the committee. To my fellow members: We cannot just sit here and watch these rogue committee members just do what they want. We as members have to hold them responsible for their decisions and actions. Michael Alberts
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 19:35:35 +0000
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