The SPCA in Quesnel has put the city on notice that it will no longer be providing a kenneling service as of January 1st.
City Councillor Mitch Vik delivered the news at Tuesday night’s Council meeting.
“As of December 31st, the contract expires, so when that expires the SPCA will no longer provide sheltering services for abandoned or delivered dogs or stray animals. And part of that contract also includes provide first aid vet care to those animals in need, and also a component of the contract requires that they provide shelter for dangerous dogs.”
Vik says they are now looking at other options.
“As far as I can see the solution is this…we find another local non-profit or local provider to offer the sheltering services, the second option would be we find a service that isn’t necessarily in the boundaries of Quesnel, so we look to a partner agency in another city such as Prince George or Williams Lake, and then the third option would be to change the bylaw so that there is no requirement to offer a sheltering service, or to shelter animals that have been abandoned or strayed. And frankly I don’t think that’s an option.”
Vik says the SPCA has agreed to work with the city to help with the transition.
He says the last contract they had with the SPCA paid $59,343 for sheltering.
Vik says if money is the issue then there would also be the option of paying more for the service.
If they can’t find a solution, he says they may have to look at some community driven solutions on what would happen should residents find animals.
“Currently that happens on social media. It is very evident that you can see people who find dogs in certain parts of the city resort to finding those owners on social media and it is successful from time to time. And then the other option is to really increase our licensing capability at the city, where we really push hard to get residents to license their pets so that if a resident finds a pet they can call the city with the dog tag number, and then get a phone number of the owner of the animal.”
The SPCA in Quesnel will still provide other services to the city related to education, animal cruelty and vulnerable animals.
