Pacific Animal Foundation is here tonight to ask Council to vote in favour of combining Animal Welfare Services with the District of North Vancouver.

PAF has recently supplied Council with the results of our extensive research regarding the current status of animal services in the City. We trust that you have had a chance to review the materials. These materials form a framework for dealing with questions regarding animal welfare in the City.

Most of us have had pets at some point in our lives. They bring us companionship and happiness. They are important to us and become cherished members of our families.

But there are many animals who, for various reasons, find themselves without a guardian or a home. Some have been abandoned, some have become lost, and some have become feral and live without human interaction.

As a responsible community, it is incumbent upon all of us to provide animals with protection and compassion.

Some of these animals need a temporary refuge and often require medical attention, while others don’t need a home, but do need spaying or neutering to stop their never ending cycle of reproduction. The very act of spaying and neutering substantially improves the quality of the rest of their lives.

City Residents tell us that they want to be able to take stray animals or surrender their own animals to a local shelter in their own community. They want the animals to have a good standard of daily care . . while they await re-adoption or reunion with their guardian. Residents are less inclined to help strays or retrieve lost or impounded animals . . if they are required to drive off the North Shore to the Vancouver SPCA facility on Clark Drive and East 7th. As well, that facility has questionable care standards and a threat of killing healthy animals.

Residents also want quick action if a stray animal is injured, lost or abandoned. Time is of the essence and may mean the difference between life and death. It is impractical to expect that animal authorities can react quickly to an injured or stray animal if their base of operations is miles away, on the other side of Vancouver City centre. And what if that single animal control employee requires back-up? A timely, capable response can only be provided by a local facility.

What services do Residents expect when they pay their taxes?

Where animals are concerned, it seems that Residents are willing and happy to pay . to help homeless animals. But they want responsive and responsible action to help these animals. To do that, the community needs to trust that the animal agency in charge knows what to do and how to do it - quickly, professionally and with expertise. When concerned residents call about homeless and injured animals, they don’t have a double standard about the care an animal needs, regardless of whether it’s tame or feral. They want their tax paying dollar to be put into a dependable and receptive organization. They want to know who to call and how to contact the organization. They want the peace of mind that an animal is safely in the care of a “shelter”. Euthanasia is NOT euthanasia unless it is to relieve the hopelessly sick or injured for reasons of mercy.” Killing healthy animals is not euthanasia - it is killing. There IS a difference.

For the past 5 years, the BC SPCA has held the contract for the City of North Vancouver. They have not done the job that Residents need and expect.

To date, there is:

· no local shelter

· no web page

· telephone listings are confusing and there is no voicemail on the only NV telephone number listed for the SPCA Thrift Store which has nothing to do with animals – it is an unrelated entity

· there is no help with feral cats

· no timely response possible for stray or injured animals

· no loan of cat traps

· residents have been told no pick up of healthy animals

· residents have been told no pick up of injured animals

· residents have been told feral cats will be “euthanized”

We have outlined some ideas in our materials for future cost savings with respect to the expenditures . . for a combined North Shore shelter. We continue to develop more ideas that we would be happy to share with you.

The 3rd Annual National Feral Cat Conference was held two weeks ago in San Francisco. All the most notable experts in the United States gathered to present the latest information on feral cats and the progress being made.

Representatives attended from the following organizations:
The Humane Society of the United States
The American SPCA
The San Francisco SPCA
Petco Foundation
SPAY USA
Best Friends Animal Society
Neighbourhood Cats
In Defense of Animals

PAF volunteer, Taylor Wheeler, attended the conference and PAF was the only group represented from British Columbia.

Using materials from this conference, PAF would be pleased to share ideas with Council for a realistic and financially viable program that the City (and District) might be able to implement if they shared services.

What do City Residents want ?

· a local shelter

· a timely response to animal situations; and

· a caring environment for those animals

. . . all of which can be provided if the City and District combine Animal Services.

A combination would be a clear win/win situation - the City taxpayers win - and most certainly the animals win.

Let’s go forward with enthusiasm to build our community the way we want to see it.

It is fortuitous timing that Council, earlier tonight, proclaimed that Oct. 2nd be Mahatma Gandhi Day, for it is his quote that is often cited in connection with animals and society.

Council not only has the opportunity to proclaim Mahatma Gandhi Day, but also has the oportunity tonight - to make changes that will improve the lives of animals in our community.

Pacific Animal Foundation respectfully asks Council to vote in favour of combining Animal Welfare Services with the District of North Vancouver as of January 1st, 2007.