http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/surreyleader/news/13686767.html
Humane society takes food, dishes from shelter
January 11, 2008
A longtime donor and volunteer at the Delta animal shelter is upset the Delta Humane Society (DHS) removed supplies after it lost the contract to run the shelter.
"I do believe that DHS has every right to remove all of the items that they purchased to start up the shelter, but it seems that a lot of items were donated by people who were simply trying to help the animals," Iris Thorner wrote in an e-mail to the Leader.
"I myself have donated time, money, dog collars, leashes, blanket and toys. These were donated to provide for the well-being of the animals and were not based on who was running the shelter."
DHS had managed the animal shelter since 2003 when it won the contract away from the BC SPCA. However, negotiations for a second three-year agreement fell apart over finances, and Delta council decided the municipality would manage the shelter as of Jan. 1.
Since then, DHS removed items it purchased or received as donations for the shelter, such furniture and a washer and dryer. It also removed pet food, leashes, bowls, medicine and stainless steel cat cages.
Juliet Correia, DHS president, defends the society's decision, and said when it took over in 2003 there was literally nothing in the shelter - the BC SPCA took everything including light bulbs and toilet paper rolls.
"So everything that was put into the facility that was not physically built there, was put in by DHS through fundraisers," Correia said, noting the society spent $50,000 in start-up costs.
"Obviously, there's some blurring in people's minds - they really don't care who's running the shelter, they just want to benefit the animals, and we do understand that."
The society left enough food, medications, blankets, bedding and leashes to care for the animals until the municipality could get replacements, Correia said, adding if an item was donated for a specific animal, such as a dog bed, it was also left at the shelter.
The Corporation of Delta sees nothing wrong with what's been removed. Karl Preuss, Delta's director of finance, said the items belong to the humane society and the municipality is in the process of replacing them.