A contractual stalemate has led to the BC SPCA ending a service agreement with the City of Cranbrook.

The City of Cranbrook contracts the BC SPCA East Kootenay branch to care for stray dogs and cats picked up by Bylaw Services and Cranbrook RCMP. The contract was due for renewal and BC SPCA, citing rising costs, sought a renewed service agreement “that would meet the needs of both parties” but discussions between the parties were unsuccessful and on Sept. 30 kenneling services for the city was ended.

“Unfortunately, the local SPCA branch has decided to end the renegotiations, go to the media, and stated they would also stop accepting stray animals from the Cranbrook area,” the city stated in an Oct. 12 media release.

“The city needs to provide facts publicly since this has become a public discussion. The local SPCA’s contract with the city is for accepting animals captured by the RCMP or bylaw services, which amounts to less than 15 animals per year,” the city release explained.

“A recently proposed new contract by the SPCA to the city more than doubled the fees requested to be paid by city taxpayers. The SPCA proposed a new contract fee for 2024 that includes supporting their base costs for meeting their constitution and accepting approximately 15 animals from the city bylaw and RCMP, from $42,000 to $92,699 per year. This is a cost increase that the city is unwilling to pass on to the local taxpayers,” the city said.

“For the past two years, the BC SPCA and the City of Cranbrook have worked closely to determine a renewed service agreement that would meet the needs of both parties. Unfortunately, those discussions were unsuccessful and, therefore, the BC SPCA’s bylaw kennelling services for the City of Cranbrook ended on September 30,” explained Corrie Bownick, Municipal Animal Contracts manager for the BC SPCA.

“Despite significantly increasing costs of animal supplies, veterinary care, vehicle fuel and employee wages, the BC SPCA has only charged nominal annual increases to the City of Cranbrook for the cost of these kenneling services and has subsidized these services through other funding sources, BC SPCA noted, adding local services will continue for everyone else.

“There will be absolutely no interruption to the donor-funded services offered to the community through the BC SPCA, including animal protection investigations, owner surrenders, pet adoptions, humane education for youth and outreach services for pet guardians,” said Adrienne McBride, senior director of community animal centres for the BC SPCA.

“However, the end of the kennelling contract does leave a gap in the animal care services provided within the city. The BC SPCA has concerns about the potential consequences for stray animals who will be without care or stable housing until the City of Cranbrook establishes a new service provider.”

Since 2004, the BC SPCA has partnered with the City of Cranbrook to provide kenneling services for stray animals. This is separate from the core work of the BC SPCA, which is funded almost entirely by donations. On average, care is provided to approximately 150-200 stray cats and dogs per year under this kennelling agreement.

“The city supports the SPCA and its important work, acknowledging that its constitution clearly states it will accept strays whether they are within city limits or not. Section F of their constitution says: “establish and operate shelters for the reception and care of animals, in particular sick, injured, stray, seized, or unwanted animals, and provide facilities for the humane destruction of animals,” the city pointed out in its media release.

The city’s requests for these costs and fees to be itemized and substantiated by the SPCA have not been provided, it added.

“The SPCA reports that last year, there were 394 emergency animal boardings; from that number, 111 are from the “Cranbrook area” (no information was provided as to specifically inside or outside city limits),” the city stated.

“Also, the Regional District of East Kootenay donates just over $7,000 to the SPCA. The number of animals dropped off by city bylaw and RCMP is less than 15 per year. If the reported 111 animals were all from within the city limits, this would total $842 for each animal boarding at the proposed new rate to be paid by Cranbrook taxpayers. At this rate, caring for a litter of kittens would cost taxpayers several thousand dollars for basic room and board. This is much higher than a veterinary clinic boarding or private animal boarding and is why the city is trying to negotiate this proposed new contract cost.”

The city said it is disappointed that the local SPCA “has chosen to stop the contract negotiations and go to the media stating they will no longer accept stray animals in the Cranbrook area. However, the city also encourages the SPCA to meet their provincial constitution of taking stray animals and to continue with negotiations.

“The city is also considering other options for the care of the less than 15 city-captured animals, which supports the community’s needs around stray animals at a more reasonable cost.

Bylaw Services will continue to serve residents by responding to animals at large or at risk. The “City of Cranbrook supports community members and groups that continue to look after strays, often posting them online in search of their owners,” the city concluded.

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