Speaking for those who can’t speak for themselves has been Ken McLennan’s passion for over 15 years.
For the Penticton resident, serving as a special provincial constable and volunteer at the South Okanagan Similkameen SPCA has been at times heartbreaking and at others fulfilling beyond words.
“This job has it’s moments but in spite of the bad things there are the times that makes it all worthwhile. The things that make you say, ‘damn that’s why I’m doing this,’” said McLennan, 68. “It’s seeing animals interacting with humans like their supposed to instead of being stuck on a chain in the backyard.”
Unfortunately, based on the 400-plus calls he investigated last year in his part-time duties as special constable that is not always the case.
On one assignment he went to a farm where the operator had a 121 head of cattle he wanted to sell and was waiting for the market value to rise but was not properly feeding them.
Seeing the poor condition of the creatures was hard for McLennan to comprehend how someone could do that to another living being.
“I told him, ‘well you’re not going to make any money when they’re dying,’” he said.
There was another situation where a woman had 62 cats living in her home which eventually had to be bulldozed because of the damage the animals had done to it.
The next encounter he had with the same woman, he had to remove 41 felines she had with her in a single-wide mobile home.
“In that first house there were feces everywhere, cats were feral. It was very, very disgusting,” he recalled. “The sad part is most of these people think they are doing a great service for the animals, but no, you’re not looking after them, I mean I went in there with a respirator on and it was just awful.
“That’s the most difficult part, going to someplace where there is very extensive neglect and that’s the sad part.”
Over the years McLennan has developed ways to personally cope, as much as possible, with the more difficult cases.
“I don’t know if you ever learn how to deal with it. You have to have what I call a switch you turn off when you walk into these situations because if you didn’t you would never be any good at the job,” he said. “It’s just that bad and there’s not much you can do except bite your tongue and make it better. Do what you have to do.”
During the period he has worked at the local branch what he enjoys most is teaching people how to care for animals, whether it’s livestock or pets.
The other rewarding aspect of the job, and probably McLennan’s favourite, is seeing the transformation of frightened, abused or neglected animals that come into the shelter. Amazingly, while many never completely get over their mistreatment, they somehow are able to regain that trust and love in their new owners.
“Here we do not have the cream of the crop, we get the ones that people don’t want but by the same token when the animals get here they know themselves that this is different than the last place they were,” said McLennan. “What I’ve learned in my years working here is that you have to get an animal for all the right reasons and it’s going to have to be a part of the family.
“You still have to interact with the animal to give it proper love period, you have give that animal love.”
SPCA branch manager Corinne Ross has worked with McLennan for a relatively short time but has quickly come to realize his valuable contribution.
“Ken is a very well liked and respected member of the team,” said Ross. “Many shelter staff turn to Ken for advice and pull on his extensive experience and knowledge, his phone is always on and nothing is too much trouble for him
“Ken’s cruelty work is invaluable and it would be impossible to say how many animal’s lives he has had a positive impact on over his amazing career, but each and every one can thank Ken for his tireless efforts.”
For those lives McLennan has saved or changed for the better, words of appreciation are not needed.
The love in the eyes staring back at him and the occasional lick to the cheek are all the thanks necessary.