Talk about raining cats and dogs...
Effective December 1, 2026, pet licensing will no longer be required within the City of Dawson Creek.
For the BC SPCA, however, the change is considerably more than a license.
Shoni Field, a strategic public engagement leader with the BC SPCA, says the organization is still working through what the end of its municipal animal-control contract will mean for its operations, hours and services.
"We're still working out what will happen, and what it means for hours and more," Field said in an interview with Postmedia.
In 2025, the BC SPCA responded to 520 animal-control calls in Dawson Creek under its municipal services agreement and brought 336 animals into care. Of those calls, 295 involved animals at large and 115 involved noise or other bylaw complaints.
The remainder included matters ranging from license checks to dog bites.
Field said municipal animal control made up 63 per cent of the animals coming into the Dawson Creek facility, while the municipal contract covered about 37 per cent of its budget.
“When we’re caring for fewer animals, we’ll have to make adjustments,” she said, though what those changes will be is still unclear.
After November 30, the BC SPCA will no longer be contracted to pick up or hold stray or at-large animals in Dawson Creek, regardless of whether they’re reported by bylaw officers, residents, RCMP, or city staff.
The City says ending the deal will save about $300,000 a year after revenues, with council noting that years of reviews and analysis showed bringing animal control in-house wasn’t financially or operationally feasible.
Field said the SPCA can’t absorb the loss of funding without cutting into other communities’ budgets, adding that those communities take animal control more seriously.
As a donor-funded charity, she said, they can’t fill the gap.
The SPCA will still handle animal welfare concerns like abuse and cruelty cases and continue services such as its pet food bank and emergency boarding. “Animal protection — yes. But aggressive dogs are a municipal responsibility,” Field said, urging residents to ask the City what the plan will be.
She warned that stray animals could lead to more aggressive situations and stressed the need for clarity on who will respond once animal control is no longer part of the city’s services.
The BC SPCA has continued conversations with the City, including a letter to the City of Dawson Creek appearing on their municipal agenda Monday, but Field said council is not currently interested in reversing its decision.
When asked if this fall's 2026 municipal election brought all-new faces and look to council – could the decision be changed or reversed – Field didn't see this in the future.
"We've been having conversations with the city. They are not interested in reviewing at this time."
News97.ca with files from RBrown@postmedia.com
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