A man denied the chance to adopt the dog he believed was the reincarnation of a dead pet will not have his case heard before the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.
Shao Lee filed a complaint against Better Life Dog Rescue claiming the Vancouver-area rescue society discriminated against him because of his "political and spiritual beliefs" when it rejected his 2009 application to adopt a specific dog. He said he was told that he was declined because of inappropriate views in his application, including the reincarnation claims.
Lee -- a self-described "anti-war and anti-racism activist" -- had never actually met the animal that he believed was the re-embodiment of his deceased dog.
But Better Life's Janet Olson told the tribunal that an inspection of Lee's home revealed he was "nocturnal and reclusive" and would not be able to give the dog the exercise it needed. In his application, he said that he rarely left his apartment and could not walk or run for long periods.
She said the society offered him the chance to adopt a less active dog, but he declined.
"Mr. Lee was not rejected. His application to adopt was in fact met with interest," Bernd Walter, the acting chairman of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, wrote in the decision to dismiss Lee's complaint.
"His home was considered suitable for a different dog, whose temperament and energy was, rightly or wrongly, considered a better match for Mr. Lee's own description of his lifestyle and activity levels."
