Vernon Daily Courier
July 3, 2006

New impound proposed
By Scott Neufeld

Animal control in the region could change significantly if a proposed resolution is passed on Wednesday’s board meeting of the Regional District of the North Okanagan.

The Proposal calls for part of the property on Haney Road that the SPCA currently leases from the district be given over the K-9 Animal Control Services. K-9 will then be given the contract to build and finance a steel animal control impoundment facility at a cost of $60,000 and turn the facility over to the regional district.

The resolution also offers a five year, $638,000 contract for animal control services to K-9 Animal Control from Dec. 31, 2006 to Dec.31, 2011. The contract pays $122,000 the first three years and $134,000 in the final two years.

Regional board director Patrick Nicol said the proposal may be the first step in getting more control over the region’s abandoned pet problem. He said the facility could curb the problem of the rising stray animal population.

“We have pets that are not wanted,” he said. “We have to better control pets. If we can do that we have fewer that do not have homes.”

However, animal control is only part of the solution.

Nicol said more needs to be done to look at ways to spay and neuter stray animals. He said the Animal Care Society and the SPCA spend $5000 per month each to have the procedure done on animals in Vernon.

“It seemed to Cliff (Kanester) and me at the time that that was a pretty astonishing statistic,” he said.

Nicol and regional director Kanester, met with the SPCA, Animal Care Society and K-9 Animal Control about three months ago, Nicol said. He said the discussion focused on finding the best solution to control the rise of the stray animal population.

“We have to determine for this community what’s the best use of land for the public trying to access those facilities,” he said.

What worries Nicol about this proposal is that it may negatively affect the future of the Animal Care Society.

Nicol said that would not be desirable because they are an important and very well supported animal organization.

The resolution will be up for debate at Wednesday’s regional board meeting and Nicol said he is looking forward to hammering out a solution to the problem of stray pets.

“It’s an issue that we have to d a better job on,” he said.

Both K-9 Animal Control Services and the SPCA were unavailable by press time.