I am writing this letter in search of opinions from animal lovers regarding a condition Councillor Maja Tait imposed to the Sooke Animal Food and Rescue Society last year. It must be noted that I am not writing in the name of the society; this is just my personal opinion.
My language barrier and different cultural background sometimes prevent me from clearly understand the difference between the right and wrong doings of elected authorities. To me, politicians always need to act in favor of the people. To me, the old Sooke council’s concept of spending people’s money to protect councillors from people suing them, it is hard to process.
Therefore, this is the dilemma I need help with understanding:
In 2012, SAFRS requested $3,000 from the Community Grants Committee to buy the tools they needed to trap abandoned animals and to fix a barn they had recently gotten. The committee denied them help to fix the barn and in order to get the other half portion of the money, Mrs. Tait, imposed the society some exclusive conditions.
First, the society needed to present a letter of support from the federal and provincial government, the CRD and the CRD Animal Control. Second, they also needed to buy an insurance of $620.52 to protect the district from getting sued. Lucky for the animal rescue group, Mayor Milne brought down the letter requirements. It would have been very difficult for the group to get to the Queen in such a brief notice.
Where do you think the money for the insurance would come from? The district’s finance department just confirmed the $620.52 cannot be included in the $1,500. The little money volunteers and youth collect with bottle returns, piggy banks and public donations cannot go to feed, rescue or heal animals. It has to go to protect the district even when we do not have enough to feed all the hundred of cats people dump like trash.
Does this reasoning make any sense to you because it does not to me? I am heart broken not just for the animals the group cannot help with this money, but also for the soul involved in the case. It is sad to see how the fear for legal prosecution can destroy all roots of empathy and compassion in the heart of a person.
Margarita Dominguez
Sooke