Your Vancouver Province
Animal shelters limping along
Outlets close or reduce public hours
Frank Luba, The Province
Published: Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Paul Teichroeb's career has gone to the dogs -- at least for the duration of the municipal strike in Vancouver.
In addition to his duties as the city's chief licence inspector, Teichroeb is one of four city management people keeping the Vancouver animal shelter open while Canadian Union of Public Employees members walk picket lines.
Teichroeb said yesterday he enjoys the company of canines, so he's not complaining.
A city truck, likely manned by management, collects garbage near Crab Park yesterday.View Larger Image View Larger Image
A city truck, likely manned by management, collects garbage near Crab Park yesterday.
But the shelter normally has 18 full-time employees. As a result, not everything is operating normally.
Animal-control officers, for example, aren't out picking up stray animals.
"If someone picked up a stray, we're asking them to bring it down [to the shelter] or we could pick it up," said Teichroeb.
Animals are also available for adoption, although the shelter is only open to the public from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Licences are also available, and dead animals are still being picked up.
Over in North Vancouver, the animal shelter is closed for the duration of the district's strike.
Many of the animals that were in the shelter were either adopted or fostered out, spokeswoman Jeanine Bratina said yesterday.
Those remaining in the shelter are being looked after by exempt management staff and volunteers.
There are currently about 22 animals at the North Van shelter, compared to the typical complement of 50.
Anyone interested in watching the cats in the North Van shelter can tune into the district's webcam of its "cat room" at www.dnv.org.
The district suggests that residents needing care for injured animals take them to the SPCA.