Steps are in place to make it easier for people and their pets to be reunited when an animal is surrendered to the SPCA on or before the weekend.
Beginning on Saturday July 15, residents whose pets may have been picked up and surrendered can now pay their fines at Western Financial Place (Saturday and Sunday only) and collect their pets from the local SPCA.
Under the current system, if a dog or cat is picked up and taken to the SPCA, the owner must pay
impoundment, kenneling and licensing fees at City Hall before the SPCA will release it to them. If this
happens over a weekend, the pet stays in the SPCA until City Hall opens at the beginning of the week.
“Having your family pet picked up on a Saturday and not being able to retrieve it until Monday or Tuesday if it’s a long weekend, can be stressful for both you and your pet”, says Chris Zettel, Communications Officer for the City of Cranbrook. “To help you retrieve your pet sooner and get them home, you can now pay your fees at Community Services at Western Financial Place on Saturdays and Sundays, between 1 and 4pm – the hours our local SPCA branch is open on weekends.”
Although this situation does not happen often, the City of Cranbrook wants to reduce the time you and your pets may be separated while also minimizing the amount of fees you need to pay.
“The City of Cranbrook is committed to finding ways to deliver better service to our customers,” Zettel says.
“This change in the way we do business may be small, but if it is able to reunite a pet and its family faster and save you money, it is worth it.”
To find out if your pet has been picked up and is staying at the SPCA, check out our Notice of Impoundment webpage at http://cranbrook.ca/notice-of-impoundment.
For information about our Animal Control services, licensing and fees, visit http://cranbrook.ca/our-city/citydepartments/corporate-services/animal-control.