WEDNESDAY
July 13, 2011
A division of
Vol. 26 No. 55
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SPCA seizes dozens of dogs in Merville
HOOPLA
Kennel owner denies charges by cruelty investigation official Scott Stanfield Record Staff
A dog breeder had her world turned upside down last week when SPCA officials seized 71 dogs from her Merville property. It’s as if the plague swept through Green Acres Kennels, says Nancy Kitching, who now has just six dogs and eight puppies. “If I had 71 dogs that weren’t healthy, well, I’d be a monkey’s uncle,” she said. “I’m open to the public. I collect taxes, and try and be a good citizen.” She said she was told her dogs were seized because they were stressed, hyper and needed vet care, among other reasons. “They are going to paint it all different ways,” Kitching said. The SPCA said the seized animals met the definition of distress under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act with a number of health concerns such as periodontal disease and untreated dermatitis. It also said the dogs had difficulty breathing through their noses due to a lack of ventilation. “All of the dogs met the defini-
tion of distress and were removed from the property and provided with treatment,” said Marcie Moriarty, the BCSPCA’s general manager of cruelty investigations. “There were significant concerns. We don’t seize for the heck of it.” Kitching said local SPCA officials seemed satisfied on previous visits. Last week, however, an SPCA special constable and RCMP attended. She said a recent incident in Whistler where sled dogs were put down triggered a new animal cruelty law penned by the vet association. “Dogs have evolved higher than people,” Kitching said, noting teeth-cleaning expenses and vet checks. “So I have to spend megamoney at the vet now.” Kitching’s stock included English and French bulldogs, each worth thousands of dollars. She figures she lost at least $50,000 worth of dogs but would have to spend even more on lawyers and boarding fees to get them back. So all she can do is cut her losses. “It’s pretty corrupt,” said Kitch-
... see DOGS ■ 3
From July 25 to 29, basketball tips will be shared locally. ■ 14
MORE MUSIC
NANCY KITCHING POSES with a French bulldog at Green Acres Kennels in Merville. PHOTO BY SCOTT STANFIELD
MusicFest 2011 had lots of terrific sounds, sights List of highlights was lengthy
Scott Stanfield Record Staff
There’s quality and there’s quantity. The 17th annual Vancouver Island MusicFest had both. Opening Thursday with multiGrammy winner Alison Krauss & Union Station, and closing Sunday night with ‘60s icon David Crosby, the exhibition grounds once again hummed with a variety of musical styles throughout the course of the weekend. Highlights? “Too many to speak of,” said associate producer Meaghan Cur-
sons, noting the Saturday night performance of social satirist Randy Newman. “When one guy on a piano can hold the audience for 75 minutes...Certain songs when he started playing, everyone looked in and started listening. “It’s rare that we have a performer that pulls everyone in from across the generations and there’s a stillness over the air. That was a beautiful moment.” She also noted the adoration that was clearly evident at Crosby’s show.
“I think there are a lot of people out there who just wanted to stand in his presence. What an amazing musician, and just a quintessential North American musician’s story. David Crosby is that.” She said the festival also featured “a million other magical moments.” Like guitarist Albert Lee and singer Jon Anderson reuniting since the last time they saw each other about 30 years ago. Artistic director/executive pro-
ducer Doug Cox spoke to a number of attendees who said it was the festival’s best-ever lineup. “The Alison Krauss concert was absolutely stunning,” Cox said. “We made a lot of great improvements this year, including the sound quality at the main stage and the placing of the stage. And just how peaceful everything was. We had very few incidents this year compared to previous years.” Cox, an accomplished musician who tours festivals around the world, hears time and again from performers that MusicFest is the
Juno-award winning reggae-pop group Bedouin Soundclash is topping The Big Time Out lineup this year. The 2011 lineup also features Oakland-based Beats Antique, the Boom Booms, Dub FX, Kim Churchill, Current Swell, Emily Spiller, and Kuba Oms and the Velvet Revolution. Earlybird tickets are available until Friday for the two-day show, which is being held Aug. 12 and 13 in Cumberland.
...Full story on page ■ 30
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... see SPIRIT ■ 2
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