Two years after temporarily closing its permanent facility due to concerns about the structural integrity of the building, the BC SPCA North Peace Animal Centre has reopened a physical location in Fort St. John at 10503 89 Avenue. With a full staff led by centre manager Jeanine Devonshire, the BC SPCA team is excited to welcome members of the community to the new location by appointment until the building is fully operational.
“There are still some ongoing construction needs at the new location, so we are asking the public to make an appointment before coming to visit. Our lobby and cat adoption rooms are ready to go, but we aren’t set up to house dogs quite yet,” explains Jamey Blair, BC SPCA’s senior manager, animal care services for Interior/North. “It has been a long time since we’ve had a physical presence in the Fort St. John community. After experiencing delays with both our facility search to find a new location within the required zoning and building constraints impacting our construction timelines, we are eager to welcome the public back in person! We are so grateful to our community partners whose support meant we could continue offering services to the North Peace community as we searched for the unique building space needed to provide the best possible environment for the animals in our care.”
The new BC SPCA North Peace animal centre has been under construction since fall 2023. Creating a space that promotes strong animal welfare has been a priority, including the ongoing creation of an indoor exercise area for dogs to ensure the inclement weather in this part of the province won’t be a detriment to animals getting the care they need. The second phase of construction near the back of the building, including the exercise space and a dog kenneling area, is expected to be complete by the end of summer, pending any further construction delays.
With the partial re-opening of the new animal centre, the BC SPCA North Peace continues to serve Fort St. John and the surrounding communities through animal adoptions, animal protection services and investigations, animal intake, and providing stray kenneling for the City of Fort St. John’s animal control service in partnership with local veterinary clinics.
Despite the lack of physical presence in 2023, the BC SPCA North Peace animal centre supported the animal welfare needs of the community by taking more than 550 animals into care, reuniting 120 stray animals with their loving families, finding new homes for 127 animals, responding to 236 calls for our animal protection services team, and providing emergency boarding support to 14 animals in need.
