THUNDER BAY — An online petition has been gaining traction on social media, prompting city staff to address status of the pound at Monday’s council meeting.
Valerie Mackett, co-founder of New Hope Dog Rescue, started the change.org petition, which calls for the city to "reinstate previously shutdown animal services."
According to the petition, which had roughly four thousand signatures as of Tuesday afternoon, the restructuring of Municipal Enforcement Services (MES) in 2022 led to the closure of animal services.
However, Keri Greaves, commissioner of corporate services, said the city “pound, itself, has never been closed,” and neither has animal services.
“The facility used to be open to the public to come and see the animals and potentially adopt the animals. The public has been restricted from entering the facility. It's just the new model that was created in 2020. The pound has been open. It's taking care of the animals. It's just not open to the public,” said Greave.
Greaves told Newswatch at the start of the COVID pandemic that the pound was closed to the public, and the adoption clinic, operating out of the facility, had to cease its service.
Since the restructuring of MES, the animal services officers and municipal bylaw enforcement were rolled into one job description. He noted that the city has continued to take in stray animals, mostly dogs, into the pound.
He said the city has a fee-for-service agreement with the Thunder Bay District Humane Society to help re-home the animals.
During this time, the city was focusing on stray animals running at large on city property, said Greaves.
But, after identifying gaps in their current model, the city has started to enforce its animal control bylaw in its full definition, meaning all free-roaming animals secured by the citizens can now being taken into the pound.
Currently, 10 dogs are in care at the pound, and they can be viewed on the city’s website.
Greaves also mentioned some social media comments that assumed the pound was mistreating the animals in the city’s care.
He assured city council that all the animals are “well taken care of, including feeding, watering, exercise, vaccines for disease prevention and vet care when necessary.”
“The municipal kennel takes in stray at-large dogs as well as injured cats and dogs, and the Humane Society are currently taking in the stray cats,” said Greaves.
The city pound has 33 kennels for dogs, but only 15 animals can occupy the space comfortably, giving each dog a comfortable amount of space, and ensuring quarantine and isolation rooms remain available for dogs that have a medical or aggression concern.
The petition, created six months ago, outlined several recommendations for the city to rebuild its animal services department.
Coun. Shelby Ch'ng asked the city staff to explain where they are in terms of rebuilding relationships.
Two of the recommendations in the petition asked that the “municipality form partnerships with willing volunteer animal welfare groups” and “establish an oversight board” with New Hope Dog Rescue.
Greaves said that work is already being done. Later this month, the municipality will be sending out calls to community partners to participate in a task force to help develop a long-term plan for handling animal services that align with community needs.
He told council that several stakeholders have already expressed interest in joining the task force.
“What we really need to work on next is a shared understanding of who's going to be doing what and establish those formal agreements so that we can understand each expectations for both the city and the shelters and rescues,” said Greaves.
