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Cranbrook, BC (October 11, 2023) -- The City of Cranbrook contracts the local SPCA to care for stray dogs and cats picked up by Bylaw Services and the Cranbrook RCMP. The contract was due for renewal and in the process of renegotiation. 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 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 BC SPCA provides for the care of stray animals in BC; it is in their constitution. 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’.

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

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). 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 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.