Animal advocates credit spike in cruelty complaints to a more proactive public

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – British Columbia’s Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals credits a more proactive public, not declining attitudes toward animal welfare, for a dramatic spike in complaints in 2015.

The BC SPCA’s Marcie Moriarty says investigators responded to 10,205 complaints in 2015, up drastically from 8,850 the year earlier.

Moriarty says the numbers likely don’t mean animal cruelty is more common in the province.

Instead, she points to more awareness about animal care, saying the public is more familiar with what is acceptable, and what is not.

Moriarty says 2015 was the busiest year, ever, for the B.C. branch.

She says the number of complaints received about suffering animals has never been higher.(CHNL)