By Katie Ryan
Lloydminster and District SPCA is at capacity.  With 33 dogs, 104 cats and a waiting list of more than 50 people who want to release animals to the shelter, executive director Shelly Zimmerman said there isn’t enough room to meet the needs of the community and the greater surrounding area.
And the city agrees.
“(The SPCA) is long overdue in need of upgrades and changes,” said Mayor Jeff Mulligan.
According to a new report accepted by City Council last week, which reviews the facility’s on-going problems and proposes solutions, the 1977-built-facility was designed to serve a population of just over 16,880. Today however, the SPCA is working hard to meet the needs of more than 76,000.
“Here is an organization that works very, very hard. They don’t get funding or grants from anybody, they have to fully fundraise for not only all of their operating costs but all of their capital costs too. They need some help here,” said senior director of corporate affairs Tom Lysyk.
The city is now working with the SPCA to establish a long term plan and vision to tackle the long list of problems plaguing the facility, which is not only lacking in space but falling apart.
“One room in the facility is unusable due to mould, the roof is leaking in several parts of the shelter and the floor is rotting in the trailer that holds the offices and store,” the report said. “To make matters worse the building is infested with mice.”
“We are recommending to them that they abandon the existing site and go to new facilities,” said Lysyk, referring to the proposed Lake V Park - the zoned off leash park in the industrial area that is five times the size of the SPCA’s current home.   “We are talking about fencing it in entirely as part of this facility – the two hand in hand. In other words improving it to where there are walkways, benches, facilities and amenities where the volunteers, the staff and the public, the dog clubs, the kennel clubs can actually use the park and be a part of the ownership of it.”
The new land would connect the SPCA to city water and sewer systems, a welcome change for the organization that is presently connected to a septic system and well said Zimmerman. But before  ground is broken on the new 62 Street home and recommendations acted on, planning is needed.
“More space, we would have room to actually have an off leash park – that’s one of our dreams.  Nothing is going forward until we have a real, concrete capital plan. Even the move, as much as we are behind it, it has to work for the society and the animals,” she said.
“We have been working on this for four years on getting the building done by ourself,” said Trevor Ollen, SPCA president. “We certainly think this is going to be a big help and feel very grateful that the city recognizes that the work that we do is vital to the community.”
Given that the organization’s revenue was little more than $500,000 and expenses over $485,000 in 2009, Ollen said securing funds for the new building has been a challenge.
“We feel from talking with the public that there is a bit of a misconception that there’s been a lot of money that has been donated through the years or through fundraising, and why they heck hasn’t this project moved forward,” he said. “It’s important that people understand and realize that the money they are spending for donations or a fundraiser, are for funding operations as opposed to going right to the costs of that new building.”
By adopting the report, the city will use budgeted funds to prepare a more detailed conceptual design of both a building, off-leash/dog park area and amenities, while giving the SPCA time to organize and prepare a financial plan that would raise sufficient funds to act on the recommendations.
“It’s a matter of building, it’s a matter of financing, it’s a matter of good planning and laying out the logistics,” said Lysyk, adding no timeline has been set for the project yet. 
“We are asking our city councils to get engaged with other village, rural and county councillors to take a look at the long term, viability, sustainability of a shelter in our district because it is the only one.”
The report’s other recommendations suggest  the SPCA establish a new organization under the Human Society, a move Zimmerman said accurately describes the SPCA’s work. 
“The bottom line is that we don’t have investigating officers here. Any sort of cruelty investigations claims are sent to a central dispatch in either Alberta or Saskatchewan SPCA. I think the name humane society sums up more of what we do,” she said. “We take in stray, unwanted, neglected, companion animals and we do our best to take care of their needs and find them new, suitable homes.”
The city has commissioned an  independent consultant to work in conjunction with the SPCA to determine the next step.