B.C. SPCA loses its contract and building in Prince George, hampering rescue efforts in northern B.C.

A major blow has been dealt to the SPCA's operations in northern B.C.

On Friday, it was announced the City of Prince George will be transferring its contract for animal shelter operations from the B.C. SPCA to the Prince George Humane Society starting Jan. 1, 2025. The contract is worth $1.2 million over five years, up from the $1.1 million paid to the B.C. SPCA in its 2019 contract.

The decision means not only will the B.C. SPCA lose a significant chunk of revenue but it will be losing access to the building it operates out of, which is owned by the city.

The B.C. SPCA operates the North Cariboo Community Animal Care Centre at Landsdowne Road and is responsible for taking in approximately 1,500 animals annually.

According to the SPCA, it is one of its busiest facilities in B.C. and key to its provincial operations, acting as a triage centre when animals are surrendered or seized in other northern communities — such as recent cases where more than 200 cats were surrendered in Houston, B.C. or when 43 German shepherds were rescued from a property southeast of the city.

It also serves as an emergency response centre, boarding animals and pets who were evacuated along with their families during wildfires in northern B.C.

While the Prince George Humane Society will take over the city contract, it does not have the same ties to animal shelters in the rest of the province.

Jamey Blair, the SPCA's senior manager for the Interior and the north says the organization will do whatever is needed in order to support the transition to the Humane Society in order to "minimize any gaps in services offered to the animals of Prince George.

Angela McLaren of the Prince George Humane Society said she expected there would be "some hiccups" but said she would be happy to continue working with the SPCA.

"Honestly, there's not enough rescues in Prince George," she said. "We've all been working together, and I don't see that changing at all."

SPCA committed to staying in the north

The SPCA will continue to operate a spay-neuter clinic in the city and is actively looking for a new building, Blair said.

"We're very committed to maintaining a physical presence," she said, adding, "It will be a costly endeavour."

The B.C. SPCA has been planning to construct a custom-built facility in Prince George since 2016, and last year received a $3 million commitment from the province to do so, on top of the previous $1.5 million. A targeted construction date was 2030, Blair said, but that plan may now have to be put on hold in favour of finding a new location to lease or purchase instead of having one custom-built.

According to Charlotte Peters, Prince George's manager of bylaw services, this marks the first time a contract for animal sheltering has been awarded to anyone other than the SPCA, which has been in the community for decades.

Peters said because the contract was worth more than $1 million, the city was required by law to issue a request for proposals and, following the process laid out by law, and the Humane Society was the successful bidder.

She said from the city's perspective, it should be a seamless transition.

"The hope is the SPCA moves out one day and the Humane Society moves in," she said.

Peters said the city would continue to work with the SPCA on the work it does outside of animal sheltering, including investigations into animal cruelty and animal protection.

McLaren said with the additional resources, she hopes to expand the Humane Society's new training program that teaches pet owners how to manage behavioural issues in their animals that might lead to them being surrendered, as well as offering financial support for vet care for people with low incomes.