Some animal lovers’ hackles are raised over the District of North Vancouver’s plan to move its animal welfare shelter into a private vet’s office.
The district has already approved a plan that would see the North Vancouver Animal Welfare Shelter on Mansfield Place closed and incorporated into an already-under-construction new MountainSide Animal Hospital & 24 Hour Emergency Services on Capilano Road.
But the space leased to the district for a shelter will be smaller than the existing one, which is slated to become part of the district’s works yard. North Vancouver resident and volunteer Katy Thompson said she worries it will be the four-leggeds paying the price for the move.
“(The shelter) has always done such a great job and this whole thing about maybe sourcing it out to vets, it’s kind of scary,” she said. “I’m sure there are other places they could cut back, other than this area. It just breaks my heart and what they’re going to do is turn (the current shelter) into a parking lot for the tractors.”
With less space, Thompson is concerned the shelter will fill up faster, meaning there will be no room at the inn for some unfortunate dogs.
“Unless there’s a facility where you can take a dog, … all it’s going to do is go back to the old days where people would take a dog, hike up the mountain, tie it to a tree and leave it there to die because now they’ll have nowhere to take it,” she said.
But demand for shelter space has been dropping with fewer strays and less time needed before adoption, according to Dan Milburn, deputy general manager of planning and permits.
“Twenty five years ago, we just experienced more challenges with dogs at large, animals fighting, getting into garbage and biting. I think what we’ve seen over the years is that community attitudes have shifted, generally or culturally. We’re seeing a lot more spaying or neutering of animals so there are less unwanted animals. The animals are healthier. People are looking after them better,” he said.
Doggy daycares and commercial dog walkers are also filling a gap, Milburn said.
The existing shelter building has reached the end of its life, he said. Rebuilding on the same spot would no longer be possible under today’s regulations because it is so close to Lynn Creek, Mildburn added.
District staff recommended the move with confidence that MountainSide will continue to offer the same services and level of care that the existing animal welfare shelter has, Milburn said.
“They have a long history and deep roots working in this area and look forward to working with the circle of volunteers and those people who are interested in animal welfare to find permanent homes for the animals,” he said.
When council voted on the plan last fall, council members were generally enthused about the new vet clinic.
But Coun. Jim Hanson expressed some trepidation about the loss on a community level.
“It provides more benefits than just animal welfare. It’s also a place where people congregate, where people care for animals, a place where people provide volunteer services. ... There was dog therapy going on right before my very eyes,” he said. “Will (the clinic) provide the necessary shelter for the animals? Probably. Will it provide a gathering place for people concerned about animals? Probably not. ... From my point of view it’s a symbol of how a community treats its most vulnerable,” he said in an interview.
