http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/tricitynews/news/10827061.html

Sunday, 10/28/2007 7:20 pm
The Tri-City News > News > Coquitlam shelter may take over canine control duties for Anmore

By Janis Warren - The Tri-City News - October 28, 2007

Anmore is in talks with the City of Coquitlam to provide services for impounded dogs after the BC SPCA cut off its contract with the village.

In August, Anmore and Belcarra received letters from the non-profit society giving notice it would be ending its municipal contracts with them in 60 days.

The Society for the Prevention Against Cruelty to Animals stated the termination was because its pound on Pipeline Road in Coquitlam could no longer accommodate dogs as a result of a dispute with the city.

As reported in The Tri-City News in May, the city said it would penalize the SPCA for noise infractions because of complaints about barking dogs at the 40-year-old pound.

Thursday, the city told The News it was the SPCA's decision to stop taking in dogs at the pound.

But the SPCA contends it had no choice because the city threatened injunctions against its operations.

Both Anmore and Coquitlam spokespersons confirmed Anmore is in negotiation with Coquitlam to provide dog pick-ups from its city-run shelter on Mariner Way, which was built about five years ago after the city cut off its contract with the SPCA.

A Belcarra spokesperson said that village is considering its options.

The city of Coquitlam has been providing animal control for Port Moody since 2002. The basic fee for this year was $11,203, plus about $10,000 more for "specialized" fee-for-service call-outs such vicious dogs and biting incidents. The PoMo contract expires next year.

In Port Coquitlam, which has partnered with the SPCA for more than 30 years, the contract with the SPCA ends Dec. 31, 2008.

PoCo bylaw manager Dan Scoones said the city was made aware of the closure of the Pipeline Road pound to dogs in May and the SPCA has since honoured the municipal agreement by either calling the dog owner the same day or transferring impounded dogs to its Maple Ridge pound, which is outside the SPCA's Tri-City/Pitt Meadows jurisdiction.

Scoones said the city hasn't received any public complaints about the SPCA since the change in procedure and, "in fact, it's turned out to be better [customer service] for us," he said, "because the owners are getting the call about Rover right away."

SPCA spokesperson Lorie Chortyk said the society's hands are tied. It wants to build a regional shelter in Pitt Meadows but since 1997, its plans have been turned down three times by the city council there. In the meantime, land prices are skyrocketing (SPCA estimates the building cost to be about $2.5 million).

The cities of Vancouver, Surrey and Burnaby have stepped up to the plate to help their communities' animals, Chortyk said, yet in this region, "they don't want us in their back yard."

Also, Coquitlam hasn't supported the SPCA's vision to redevelop the old Pipeline pound, which is running at a deficit, she said. As a result, Chortyk said the society will have to consider whether it will enter agreements with PoCo and Pitt Meadows when their city contracts are up.