B.C. dog rescue accused of failing to properly vet animals, people in pet adoptions

Questions are being raised about the practices of a B.C. animal rescue that takes in dogs from shelters in some cases, at no cost then adopts them out for feesthat run as high as $700.

Over the past month, eightpeoplehave contactedCBCNews to flag concerns about Vancouver-based Big and Small Rescue Society, including a former co-ordinator with the society. They say the group does not conduct behavioural assessments on the dogs before putting them up for adoption, does not vet potential adopters or fosterers and charges inconsistent fees for adoption. Many of the dogs come from shelters in places such as California and Mexico.

Big and Small Rescue always and without exception puts the needs of the animals first.- Big and Small Rescue Society

Big and Smallis also named in court documents from 2016 that allege it has not paid bills to three veterinary clinics. One vet told CBC News he offered his services at a "significantly" discounted fee but is now owed more than $20,000. The company,in itsstatement of response,denies allthose allegations.

In a statement to CBC News, Big and Small said in part thatit"alwaysandwithout exception puts the needs of the animals first."

While several people have flagged concerns about Big and Small's practices, the society is not breaking any rules. That's because there are no regulations around rescue organizations and how they operate in B.C.Animal welfare experts have long called for a set of standards that rescue societies must follow to ensure the safety of families who are adopting or fostering them, and the health and safety of the animals

'I was at my wits' end'

In July 2016, Kristine Wickner from Salmon Armadopted a four-year-old Chihuahua-heeler mix named Sophie from Big and Small, as a companion for her dog Aubrey, a Chihuahua-terrier.

In an online ad, Sophie was described as"the perfect package" who gotalong with other dogs.

At first, the dog seemed fine, according to Wickner, but thenstarted behaving aggressively towards Aubrey and attacked her on three separate occasions. Vet records show Aubrey suffered a serious laceration on her neck.

Email messages show Wickner reached out to Big and Small to tell them about the problem, but the society told her, as per the contract she signed, she had to keep the dog until another home was found.

When she wrote backto tell them she could not keep the dog, she was told she had to "explore other options on her own."

Email records show she requested vet records for the dog, but the society said itno longer had them.

"I was kind of at my wits'end because I didn't know what to do," said Wickner."I'd never been in that situation before."

Wickner said she had no choice but to take the dog to the SPCA in Shuswap.

The SPCAconducted a behavioural assessment and said, based on the results, itwould not have placed Sophie in a home with another dog.

Lack of proper vetting

Families or individuals, typically volunteers,will sometimes foster a dog for a period of time until itgets adopted to a "forever home."

Big and Small requires all potential volunteers to fill out aquestionnaire and sign an agreement that includes the responsibilities and requirements.

Two people who fostered dogs for Big and Small contacted CBCNews to say thataside from that contract,they were not vetted by the society before being given animals.

Trina Johnson answered aFacebook ad to foster. She said she was told to meet a van with up to eight dogs inside that had just driven to Vancouver from California.

• California rescue dogs arrive to cheering and love in B.C.
• Regulations around B.C. animal shelters overdue, advocate says

She said the 110-pound dog she took home was stressed when it arrived but got worse after it was neutered.Johnson was then told to hand it over to a potential adopter for an overnight visit, and the man returned the dog to her.

The dog started urinating all over her house, she said, and after two days she told Big and Small she couldn't take care of the dog anymore, and they picked him up.

Johnson said she never fostered for Big and Small again after that and signed up with another animal rescue agency that did vet her and do checks.

A lack of proper vetting was also aconcern for Melissa Lloynd,who adopted a six-week-old American Staffordshire puppy three years ago from Big and Small.

Lloynd and her husband initially visited the puppy at a foster home she described as "disgusting."

"There was a mattress in the middle of the living room ... there was pee and pooand dirty newspapers all over the floor, and he was very sick [with] a respiratory infection," she said.

Despite that, Lloynd said she and her husband fell for the puppy and moved forward with adoption, but says aside from filling out a questionnaire, they were not thoroughly vetted either during a home visit by the society.

"They basically just walked in the front door and looked around, that was it," she said.

She said in hindsight she should haveasked more questions.

"You see the dog, you feel like you are doing a good thing, get the dog, everything else doesn't matter It's kind of unfortunate because a lot of [rescue organizations]are kinda banking on that," said Lloynd.

Lloynd paid an adoption fee of $500, while Wickner paid $400. Of the people who spoke toCBCNews about their adoptions from Big and Small, the fees ranged from $400 to $700.

One of the shelters in California where Big and Small gets its dogs does not charge at all for some dogs.

'Wild west'

Big And Small, a registered not-for-profit societyin B.C.,isn't breaking any rules, because there aren't any.

"I find that the shelters that are bringing in dogs from places outside of Canada, many aren't doing the vigorous vetting of dogs, both physically and behaviourally," said Ledger.

Ledger said there's nothing wrong with importing dogs, but believes there must bebetterassessments of animals something more like the SPCA's rigorous testing to determine suitability for adoption as well as better disclosure to potential adopters so they know what they are signing up for.

The animal welfare group Paws for Hopeis also pushing for more standardized rules for rescue societies.

Kathy Powelson, with the group, said most rescue societies have good practices, but a fewdon't.

"There is a small number a very, very small numberbut they create a lot of problems," she said. "They are doing it arguably for profit. We call it puppy flipping."

'We wish we could do more'

CBCNews contacted Larissa Thomas and Dalibor Drinovac, the principals of Big and Small Rescue Society, asking them to respond to the allegations made to CBCNews.

The pair did not respond specifically to the allegations, but sentan email responsesigned by the society's board of directors.

"The suffering of many of the dogs and cats entering our society is heart-wrenching. Without our support, hundreds of animals a year would likely suffer, perish or be euthanized. We just wish we could do more."

With files from Tara Carman