SPCA; good or bad?

I have been thinking about something quite a bit lately... And that is whether or not the SPCA is really as good as it would like people to believe.

Now I am sure the SPCA has done some wonderful things for animals in the years it has existed - I am definitely not denying this.

My point is, a lot of people seem to think that the SPCA is always about doing what's best for the animals, when in reality I know from experience that this is not always the case.

Some SPCA shelters send hundreds of dogs with 'irreversible' aggression issues to kill shelters where they are euthanized without a second chance. Such aggression issues are usually very easily trained out of a dog... I know of a friend who wanted to adopt a dog from the SPCA and was told that his aggression issues were irreversible when all that was wrong was the dog had mild resource guarding issues. (These can easily be trained out of a dog in 99% of cases - this dog was never properly given a chance.)

This friend was a dog trainer with a couple years of experience under her belt already, and she was denied the chance to give this dog a home and a new lease on life.

Isn't that what the SPCA is all about? Giving animals homes, and a new lease on life? That's what they would like you to believe, with their fancy commercials...

Also, I volunteered at the SPCA for about 6 months in the summer of 2007, and in that time I was asked to euthanize several dogs and cats. I am in no way certified to perform a euthanasia (I was only 13 at the time), however the vet overseeing this particular shelter not only encouraged me to do it, but told me that I had to. (This vet later lost his job and his veterinary license, if you were wondering.)

I think that while the SPCA does some good for animals in general, there are things that go on there behind closed doors that the general public doesn't see, or really think about...

While I may have had some bad experiences with the SPCA, I still think they are a crucial part of the stray dog/cat population control, and while they may not always do what is best, they do encourage people to adopt, which is a crucial part of encouraging responsible pet ownership.

What are your thoughts on the SPCA? Are they overrated, and why do you feel the way you do?

Looking forward to hearing your opinions. :)