At the SPA de l’Estrie, we unfortunately have to redirect animals that do not come from municipalities served by our organization to other resources. This situation raises several questions among citizens, who do not always understand this refusal and sometimes wonder who to call on. Here are some explanations to better understand our functioning:
First of all, it is important to mention that the management of pets is primarily the responsability of municipalities. However, many are turning instead to shelters like the SPA de l’Estrie since they do not have the resources and expertise necessary to provide such as service.
The municipalities then fund part of this service, in accordance with the agreement made with our organization. The amount granted is what allows the shelter to set up the necessary resources to properly care for the animals: medical care, food, accommodation capacity, employees, etc.
We cannot therefore accept animals from cities that do not finance the service without putting our organization and the well-being of these animals at risk. Our resources would be exhausted far too quickly…
In addition, the SPA de l’Estrie cannot take care of animals from municipalities that do not have a contract in order to be fair towards municipalities that pay for the same service.
Finally, we also refuse stray animals from unserved municipalities to increase their chances of finding their guardian. To facilitate the process of claiming an animal, it is important that each municipality has only one place for found animals. This way of doing things allows in particular to limit the possibilities regarding the location of the animal awaiting a claim.
What to do if my municipality is not served?
If you live in a territory that is not served by the SPA de l’Estrie, you must contact your municipality to find out your options when finding a stray animal or disposing of a pet. If no structure is in place in your municipality, you can also use your personal network. Then, if you believe that your municipality should offer a better animal management service, we invite you to mention it to your municipal council.