SPCA Makes Pitch to Common Council
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By: Brendan McDonough
“The relationship with the City of North Tonawanda was grossly mis-managed through lack of transparency and a lack of communication on the part of the SPCA,” said Tim Brennan, Niagara County SPCA.
Along with that, Brennan is hoping the SPCA will be able to re-establish a partnership and provide dog sheltering services and possible dog control services for North Tonawanda.
One of the benefits of the SPCA is that they recently hired a full-time veterinarian, which means that all animal care services are done on site. Also in the works are plans for the SPCA to construct a brand new surgical suite thanks to a $500,000 grant. Construction of which will be complete by next winter.
“The trailer that we are currently using has very little heat and it has been very difficult this past winter to do the surgeries in there,” said Brennan.
The City of North Tonawanda currently has a contract with “All Dogs Academy” for the same service. If they opt to go with the SPCA it would have to be next year after the contract is up.
Currently, the SPCA charges $26 a day, per dog, to keep them in a kennel.
What’s different about the SPCA is that they are a “no kill” facility, said Brennan. North Tonawanda has a dog control officer and City Officials say they are happy with his work and that if they went with the SPCA’s dog control services it would be for times that the current dog control officer was not available.
That being said, it something city officials say they are definitely thinking about.
“We do have that year contract with ‘All Dogs,’ but I think I would be leaning towards that as an option. For the space and the shelter, itself,” said Eric Zadzilka, Common Council President.
More discussion will continue on this as the City’s contract with “All Dogs Academy” gets closer to ending.
