PARS demands answers to missing dogs

Alicia Boisson
South Peace News

Prairie Animal Rescue Society representatives Gayle Lewis, LeeAnne Fjeld and Terra MacLean approached High Prairie Town Council with concerns that their mutual contract is being breeched. MacLean, PARS president, says she is aware that town manager Larry Baran, the special constables and councillors support the contract, but feels there are a few employees who aren’t so supportive. In a letter she addressed to council heard at their Feb. 14 meeting, MacLean addresses support issues. “Both special constables Bloom and Morrical are very supportive and co-operative, so we would like to know if there is someone else in charge of the town’s stray dogs. Do we need to work on a professional relationship with someone else who is less supportive,” says MacLean. The concerns regarding the contract breech were stirred when PARS received phone calls from pet owners whose dogs went missing from the pound, says MacLean. “These owners were told or are under the understanding that if they could not afford to pay the fines for their dogs, the dogs would be sent to us,” says MacLean. “When they called us to see how their dogs were doing, they were surprised to hear that we hadn’t received them.” Following this call MacLean says she contacted the town to find out where both sets of dog(s) were. She was told that they had been logged in but were no longer in the pound. “We did not get the pups, nor are they still in the pound,” wrote MacLean in her letter. “We would like to know where they are.” MacLean has suspicions about what has happened to the dogs but in the past was assured she could rest easy. “The town has publicly stated that any dogs put down by the town are humanely euthanized by the vet for a fee of $70,” says MacLean. “If these dogs that have gone missing had to be put down, we want to see the bill for this and the evaluation as to what the decision factor was.” PARS and council entered into a contract that stated all stray dogs would be handed over to PARS, if suitable for adoption, and entered into the spay and neuter program, with a $50 donation from the town. “As far we we’re concerned it was a win-win situation. The town was saving money because they didn’t have to euthanize the dogs and we were helping with the animal population,” says MacLean. PARS says that if the dogs were aggressive they would understand why they had to be put down, but say they don’t understand how two puppies could be a threat. “If they weren’t destroyed we want to know where they are now,” says MacLean. “There is a protocol to follow. We truly believe that the town manager, constables and council are unaware of the breeches and we just want to them to be aware.” Another breech that concerns PARS is one of the dogs was given to the pet shop for sale by a town employee. “Gayle went in and was told by an employee that it did indeed come from the pound,” says MacLean. “This dog was being sold without being spayed or without vaccinations. We want to know what circumstances were present to deem this acceptable and preferable to turning this dog over to our adoption program, which the contract states is the procedure. “Chances are that if any of these missing dogs were put back into the town without being spayed or neutered, that they will turn around and contribute to the pet overpopulation we are struggling to overcome.” MacLean says they work very well with the constables who are said to be in charge of the dogs when in town possession and both parties follow protocol very closely. “I think it’s when the constables are off duty that protocol is ignored,” says MacLean, adding more concern comes from the community. “We have advised community citizens to call the town when they call us in regards to a dog they have found somewhere in town, and more than once they’ve told us they didn’t want to do that, as they hear dogs in the pound get shot. We have assured them this isn’t true because we have a contract with town. But if there is a discrepancy we want to know what the protocol is.” In the spring of 2006, PARS approached the town administration with similar concerns and was assured, incidents like this would never happen again in an e-mail from CAO Larry Baran. “I did an investigation on the animals that were dropped off this summer. Sadly, they were not all adopted out as you had suspected,” says Baran in an earlier letter. “I would like to say no more, except that I am confident that this situation will not be handled this way again.” When asked what would happen in regard to recent events, Baran says he is working on solving the issue. “All I can say is that we have made errors and I am working on correcting them,” adds Baran. “We have found some holes and I will be filling them.” Although Baran could not specify what these plugs would be, he is adamant that these mistakes will not happen again. “Council is in full support of PARS and we want to see it succeed,’” says Baran. “The constables have worked very hard with PARS and will continue to do so.” PARS has opted to remove the request for a $50 donation per dog from the town in order to hopefully save a life. MacLean says it is too bad because that money could be used to buy two bags of food for their adoptive animals. Baran says it is not a money issue and would not like to see PARS refuse the donation for their stray dogs.

Copyright © 1999-2005 South Peace News. All Rights Reserved.
No part may be reproduced without written permission.

View our Privacy Statement.
Send website suggestions to the Webmaster