After coming to an impasse in their contract negotiations, the City of Moose Jaw and its Humane Society have agreed to give it another shot and are heading back to the bargaining table.
When negotiations came to a standstill, the Humane Society pulled the plug on providing animal control services, leaving animal advocates wondering what would happen to stray dogs and cats.
“They are the best equipped to do it,” said Shawna Bonnett, one of the organizers of a rally held in Moose Jaw on Friday. “They have the trained personnel. They have the expertise and they have the strong background in caring for animal welfare.”
However, a contract extension now buys both sides some time. The Humane Society has agreed to continue offering services for another 90 days.
“These have to be serious negotiations, not what we’ve gone through in the past two years,” said John LaBuick, Board President of the Moose Jaw Humane Society. “Let’s get it on the table. Let’s try and make this work. In the 90 days, we should be able to know whether we can or we can’t.”
Most recently, the city was offering $200,000 per year to enforce animal bylaws, but the Humane Society was looking for closer to $329,000. When it looked like the two would be cutting ties, the city began working on a backup plan, including hiring its own kenneling service and dog catchers.
“We’ve been trying to determine how we can roll it out in short notice because frankly we never thought it would come to that,” said Matt Noble, City Manager for the City of Moose Jaw. “This isn’t a game to the community or to the city or to administration. It’s about having to provide the service.”
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