Animal control no longer SPCA job

By MITCH WRIGHT
The Chronicle Mar.9,2004

The SPCA is no longer in control of animal control in Ladysmith.

The Town of Ladysmith has terminated its involvement with the Cowichan and District SPCA and instead contracted a Duncan-based company to take over.

Coastal Animal Control Services of B.C. Ltd. is providing animal control duties for the Town as of March 1, at more than $2,100 per month - roughly double the cost of previous services provided by the SPCA.

That increase is paying for improved service, says councillor Doug Fraser.

"Double the service - double the cost. It's an easy equation," Fraser told the Chronicle. "If you want better service, it's going to cost you."
Coastal, which provides similar service to the District of North Cowichan and has its own pound facility on Herd Road, will be available around the clock, seven days a week to respond to complaints, but also promises a minimum of eight hours of actual street patrols.

"It's just another level of service . . . that they can provide," said Fraser, adding that Coastal owner Trevor Hughes will be brought into the process of rewriting the Town's animal control bylaw, the next step out of the animal control recommendations brought forward last fall.

With Coastal on board for six months, Fraser said council has bought itself some time, which will be used to rewrite the animal control bylaw and determine its direction.

"The question is are we going to have our own, in-house service or are we going to contract somebody?" Fraser explained.

The decision to sever the Town's arrangement with the SPCA isn't surprising - City Hall revealed the contract was 'under review' following expiry on Dec. 31, 2003.

While Fraser said the SPCA "hadn't done anything wrong", he also said the service was less than ideal, and a recent court application saw the organization arguing against the Town's effort to have a dog that it deemed dangerous destroyed.
"They were working on our behalf, yet they were on the other side of the fence in this case," said Fraser. "It did create a bit of a conflict."
Regardless of what course council elects to follow over the next six months, Fraser says residents will see better animal control during that period.

"Assuming he'll deliver the same kind of service he's been delivering in North Cowichan, we should see an improvement," he said.