Effective January 1, 2025, the BC SPCA will no longer be providing Animal Shelter Operations for the City of Prince George, as the city has awarded this contract to another provider following a recent request for proposal process.
Operations will be winding down in preparation for this transition as the facility housing the North Cariboo community animal centre is provided to the not-for-profit organization as part of the municipal contract and will need to be vacated by December 31.
Starting December 16, the BC SPCA North Cariboo will be pausing all centre-based services, outside of its municipal animal control contract. This includes a pause on all animal adoption and surrender from this location. Only stray animals found within the City limits of Prince George continue to be accepted at the centre.
While the BC SPCA is very grateful for generous donations from kind community members, donations of physical items are not being accepted at this time.
The BC SPCA continues to explore options for a physical space and is in the process of completely a comprehensive needs assessment for the community. In the meantime, recruitment is ongoing to hire a community services coordinator to help bridge the gap until the BC SPCA’s physical presence in the community is determined. For the first few months of 2025, while recruitment is ongoing, the BC SPCA will continue offering regionally provided services including Animal Protection and Community Outreach services. The BC SPCA remains committed to delivering essential animal care services to Prince George and surrounding communities. More details regarding the BC SPCA’s service provision will be shared as they become available.
Anyone with questions about animal welfare services in their region is encouraged to contact the BC SPCA’s Animal Helpline: 1-855-622-7722
BC SPCA’s Animal Shelter Operations contract in Prince George to end on December 31.
Original story: October 25, 2024
The BC SPCA will no longer provide Animal Shelter Operations for the City of Prince George as of January 1, 2025, after the municipality chose to award the contract for these services to another provider during a recent request for proposal process.
As the building where the North Cariboo community animal centre is located is provided to the BC SPCA by the city as part of the terms of this contract, the not-for-profit society will need to seek a new facility to continue providing important animal welfare services to the community. The BC SPCA Prince George Spay/Neuter Clinic will be unaffected by this change.
“The North Cariboo community animal centre is the BC SPCA’s busiest facility in the North, with more than 1,500 animals coming through our shelter doors every year. The highest municipal stray animal intake of any BC SPCA stray animal kenneling facility across the province is managed yearly by the North Cariboo centre, in addition to the animals entering care for other reasons. The facility often also acts as a triage facility for some of the BC SPCA’s largest animal protection seizures, so drawing on both local resources and those from across the province is a critical part of our ability to provide these animals the care they deserve,” explains Jamey Blair, Senior Manager of Animal Care Services in the Interior and Northern regions.
“We’ve been providing these stray kenneling services for the Prince George community for decades and have deeply valued our partnership with the City. We’re definitely disappointed by the decision but want to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the winning service provider. The BC SPCA will support the transition however we can to minimize any gaps in the services offered to the animals of Prince George.”
The BC SPCA has been planning to build a new purpose-built facility in Prince George to support animal welfare initiatives in the community, but that project has not yet started and was slated to be complete closer to 2030. Blair continues, “With the end of the Animal Shelter Operations contract between the BC SPCA and the City, we may need to explore faster solutions to maintain our physical presence than the construction of an entire purpose-built facility.”
The BC SPCA’s commitment to delivering animal care and sheltering services to the Prince George and surrounding communities remains steadfast. The Society is currently looking into suitable options for either a physical space or for the provision of a community services type model, similar to what has been piloted in other communities where there is no physical BC SPCA facility. Regionally and provincially provided services, such as animal protection investigations, outreach services including the pet food bank programs delivered through community partners, and school-based humane education programming will continue in their existing formats.