Sydney animal shelter dispute may head to court

The fight over who controls a Sydney animal shelter may end up going to court, according to the provincial SPCA.

Earlier this week, the executive director of the Nova Scotia SPCA ordered the newly-named Cape Breton Humane Society — formerly the Cape Breton SPCA — to vacate the building by noon on Wednesday. It didn't.

The provincial SPCA cut its ties with the shelter last week and wants to take over the operations, because it says the shelter is providing substandard animal care.

The Sydney shelter's board of directors said it owns the building and isn't going anywhere.

Kristin Williams, the executive director of the provincial SPCA, said the organization feels it has to go to court to break the stalemate.

"The shelter is currently being occupied by certain individuals who have no legal authority to be there," Williams said Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the society served Williams legal notice that she's not permitted to access the shelter.

Danny Ellis, who's on the board of the Cape Breton Humane Society, said a prolonged court battle would be expensive and generate bad publicity.

"We suggested from day one — conciliation, that's what's going to settle this, and arbitration. We don't want to be here as a non-profit volunteer board fighting a battle in Supreme Court. People of this area aren't going to stand for it," he said.

"I can't believe people in the province in general are going to have an executive director suggest for one minute that you're going to go to Supreme Court and fight an animal rights battle. It's crazy."

Long-time member Leo MacIsaac said a recent inspection by two local veterinarians at the Sydney animal shelter confirms what he's known all along — that the animals are fine.

"My biggest concern — the message that got back to them — the animals are safe, they're being fed, they're not being neglected, that's given us all comfort here," MacIsaac said.

"We have never, ever, ever had any reason to think they were being neglected."