The BC SPCA will not 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, according to a statement from the BC SPCA.
The Prince George Humane Society was awarded the $1,209,315 annual contract after a tendering process that opened in early September.
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 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,” said Jamey Blair, Senior Manager of Animal Care Services in the Interior and Northern regions. “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 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.
“We’ve been providing these stray kennelling 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 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.
“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,” said Blair.
The BC SPCA’s commitment to delivering animal care and sheltering services to the Prince George and surrounding communities remains steadfast, Blair added. 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.