Local animal control contract set to expire Dec. 1, after Oct. 17 election...
Dawson Creek residents say the city's decision to end municipal animal control services is an issue they will be thinking about as they head to the polls this fall. In May, city council voted to end its contract with the SPCA, saying it would save taxpayers roughly $300,000. The contact expires on Dec. 1 and will not be replaced.
When the contract expires, the South Peace SPCA will no longer conduct bylaw patrols, respond to aggressive dogs, address animal noise complaints, remove dead domestic or wild animals, pick up stray pets, or accept stray animals brought to the centre by residents unless it meets their intake criteria, such as being seized through protection investigations.
The B.C. SPCA says it provided care for more than 300 animals in Dawson Creek in 2025.
"I hope who ever assumes the responsibility of mayor takes this into consideration and does what's right for the community," said resident Charity Smith, who is organizing a protest at city hall on Oct. 16 — the day before the municipal election — to bring attention to the issue.
"In a community like Dawson Creek, residents rely on the B.C. SPCA to ensure lost pets are reunited with their families, vulnerable animals receive care and concerns involving dangerous or nuisance animals are addressed quickly and professionally."
Smith said she's disappointed with city council, and is worried about what will happen when animal control services are no longer available.
"Without these services, the responsibility could fall on already stretched emergency responders, while animals in need may go without timely assistance," she said.
Shoni Field, chief public engagement and advancement officer with the B.C. SPCA says the organization is concerned stray cats and dogs could be left out in the cold this winter.
"Our understanding is that those services are not going to be taken on by the city or by another agency," she said. "It's going to be a big gap in the community, where community members are really going to feel the impact.
"The immediate concern is that the contract is going to end just as we're going into extreme temperatures."
Field says the end of municipal animal control could also contribute to stray cats breeding, a problem she says the city's bylaw was addressing.
"When their animal responsibility bylaw was first introduced, we saw an almost 37 percent reduction in stray animals," she explained.
"We're really concerned about Dawson Creek losing that progress, and we are going to see stray cat population growth."
The issue of stray cats has also affected neighbouring communities.
As mentioned, residents are concerned about the extreme weather and temperatures as winter settles in soon.
Seventy stray cats were recently rescued by the North Peace Forgotten Felines Society, of Fort St. John, with the local non-profit asking the public for donations of food and money for care.
"The number is real. The need is immediate," the organization wrote on Facebook.
"Without food they starve. Without vetting they get sick. Without spay or neuter, 70 quickly becomes hundreds."
Shelby Painter also lives in Dawson Creek, and is part of an informal group that helps find homes for strays and unwanted pets.
"This isn't just about a building or an organization, it's about the animals in our community who don't have a voice of their own," she said.
Painter said she's seen a large number of strays in the city, and wants politicians to support the work of the SPCA.
"If it doesn't fall directly on the community itself, the vet is going to see an influx of hurt animals and things that they can't do anything about," Painter said.
-Tom Summer CBC News/Fort St. John
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