B.C. shells out $12M for 4 new animal shelters as demand rises

B.C. Premier David Eby hung out with some dogs while announcing $12 million in funding toward the construction of four new SPCA facilities.

Several of the society’s dogs were brought in Monday while Eby announced the funding will be used to build state-of-the-art shelters in Vancouver, Duncan, Prince George and Fort St. John, where existing facilities are either outdated or closed.

Eby also said work is ongoing to establish a pet breeder registry in the province to reduce pressure on existing SPCA facilities, while addressing cases of animal abuse associated with substandard breeders.

The province committed to establishing a breeder registry before the pandemic, but Eby said COVID-19 “diverted significant resources” away from the plan.

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It’s expected the four new facilities will offer care to thousands of pets every year in B.C., ranging from cats and dogs, to birds, rabbits and rodents.

Eby said the SPCA has seen an increased need for capacity in recent years, as some owners have been forced to drop off “pandemic pets” they can no longer care for after returning to the office.

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“All animals deserve safe, secure homes where their needs are met, where they have access to healthy food and water and where they can get exercise … whether it’s in their new home or in one of these new state-of-the-art B.C. SPCA facilities.” Eby says.

The funding is also crucial because it comes at a time where charities such as the SPCA are seeing challenges in traditional income sources like donations, he said.

“We know that people across the province and businesses are facing higher costs and pressures on their ability to buy essentials at home, which has reduced charitable giving at a time when the SPCA is responding to more and more emergencies in our facilities.”

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Vancouver’s new shelter will receive $7 million of the funding in creating a facility more than 3,000 square metres in size, housing a veterinary hospital and an education centre.

Prince George’s new facility, which also will serve the Cariboo and northern Interior regions, will receive $3 million.

Fort St. John and Duncan will each receive $1 million to replace either aging or structurally unsafe shelters in those communities.