August 04, 2004
The Now Newspaper

SPCA in danger of losing city contract

Tom Zytaruk

The City of Surrey is looking at setting up its own animal shelter when its contract with the SPCA expires at the end of the year.

City staff figure that an "in-house" pound run through the bylaw and licensing section would be "less costly than a new SPCA contract," according to a report by city solicitor Craig MacFarlane.

Council is expected to receive another report this fall as staff explores the matter further.

Since 1996, the SPCA has provided the city with animal control, bylaw enforcement, pound and dog licensing services at an annual fee of $600,596, plus a 60 per cent take from dog licences - estimated to be $125,000 this year - the SPCA sells.

Currently, the SPCA operates the city shelter in a 370-square metre (4,000-square-foot) building at 6706-152nd St. The pound is owned by the city and houses injured and stray animals from Surrey as well as surrounding municipalities that don't have shelters.

MacFarlane noted the option to renew the SPCA contract for two more years is by mutual agreement.

For its part, the SPCA proposes that the contract be renewed with an annual fee increase of 35 per cent, to $1,014,011.

Craig Daniell, chief executive officer of the B.C. SPCA, said his organization wants to continue working in Surrey.

"We believe we've had a good relationship with the City of Surrey," he said. "We're looking forward to continuing that relationship if we can."

Coun. Penny Priddy, acting mayor, wants to know if a city-run pound would mean less service.

"Surely your only benchmark is not the budget," Priddy said. "Surely that's not the only goal and objective.

"If it means bringing it back in-house and city employees do it, with the additional resources to do it, I'm prepared to look at it," she said. "If it means taking it away from the SPCA and contracting it out to somewhere else, then I might have a lot more concerns about that."

Langley Township contracted its animal control to the non-profit Langley Animal Protection Society, which runs a shelter on 56th Avenue, 10 months ago after its contract with the SPCA expired in August 2003.

Sean Baker runs the Langley shelter and says the operation has gone "quite well."

"Our society's been very well-received by the community of Langley," he said.

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August 04, 2004