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Council looks at replacing outdated dog pound
Advocates for homeless tell city to help people first, dogs second

Doug Ward
Vancouver Sun

Friday, January 18, 2008

Attendant Katie Douglas hold Milo at the city dog pound, which has numerous structural problems.
CREDIT: Bill Keay, Vancouver Sun

Vancouver city council voted unanimously Thursday to consider construction of a new animal services facility in the 2009-2011 capital plan.

The motion came from the Non-Partisan Association caucus, which believes a new complex is needed because the existing dog pound has structural damage and an inadequate customer service area.

NPA Coun. Kim Capri, who has a Boxer, said in an interview that the dog pound has poor ventilation, drainage and noise insulation.

Vision Vancouver Coun. Raymond Louie, who has a Dalmatian, warned that there are many "competing interests" for tax dollars, including Olympic infrastructure and programs.

The city has not selected a design or site for the proposed facility and there is no price tag, though a new animal facility proposed in a previous capital plan process was priced at $15 million.

NPA Coun. Susan Anton urged all councillors to visit the pound to see how inadequate its conditions are for staff and dogs.

A number of animal rights activists opposed the motion, including Donna Liberson, who argued that the pound doesn't have enough dogs to require a new building.

The pound is only operating at a 20-per-cent capacity, said Liberson. "There is usually fewer than 20 dogs on hand on any day at the facility." She noted that in 2004, 16 new kennels were built.

Capri said the new facility could be built in association with another animal care group, such as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The city could focus on animal control and the SPCA or another group could focus on animal welfare, she added.

Some speakers urged council to focus on finding more shelter for homeless people.

Capri said council can't set aside every other issue in the city until the homelessness problem is solved.

Anti-poverty advocate Robert Bonner, dressed in a bright yellow dog suit and sporting a dog mask, told council that "we dogs are wagging our tails at the prospect of a new shelter.

"As dogs, we've become accustomed to sharing our doorways and alleys with humans. Because much like us, they have nowhere to go."

Bonner added: "We dogs hope that your humane thinking will also be considered for your homeless."

Council also backed the development of a "self-sustaining" model of animal-bylaw enforcement. The proposal is to significantly increase the number of dog licences in the city and to use this money to fund a far more stringent approach to enforcement of dog bylaws.

Capri said Vancouver should adopt the model used in Calgary, where about 90 per cent of dog owners have licenced their animals.

She said the high number of licences has led to improvements in ensuring dog owners comply with bylaws and helped city staff connect lost dogs with their owners.

dward@png.canwest.com
© The Vancouver Sun 2008