SpamSieve always open?

It seems as though SpamSieve is always open on my dock? Is this normal? Any way to get rid of it?

Is it SpamSieve the application doing the filtering, or is it the plugin? If it is the plugin, I dont see why SpamSieve has to be open 24/7.

Lastly, if SpamSieve does have to be open all the time, is there any way to hide the icon on the dock?

The SpamSieve application does the filtering. It is normal for it to auto-launch when you receive new mail and auto-quit when your mail client quits. You can hide the Dock icon if desired.