By Cecilia Nasmith
Councils for the Municipality of Port Hope and the townships of Hamilton and Alnwick-Haldimand are pleased to announce improvements to the delivery of animal-care services with the transfer of care and enforcement to the Northumberland Humane Society, effective immediately.
All three councils held special meetings April 26 to authorize the execution of an agreement to dissolve the Joint Animal Control Municipal Services Board, authorize the sale of the Municipal Animal Service Facility and land, and to support a service contract between each Municipality and the Northumberland Humane Society for animal-control services.
Over time, the delivery of these services has evolved to support the growing needs of residents while ensuring compliance with applicable legislation changes. Northumberland County's member municipalities have generally worked together as a board to deliver animal-control services collectively through various arrangements.
Since 2020, when the Town of Cobourg left the board and began working with the Northumberland Humane Society, the board has been exploring alternative animal-care and enforcement options – the end result of which is this new agreement.
It has a term of five years and is based on a model of animal control, enforcement and care currently being delivered by Humane Society agencies across various Ontario municipalities.
The NHS will operate out of the facility located at 2363 Theatre Rd. S., and future use of their current building at 371 Ward. St. in Port Hope will be determined by the Northumberland Humane Society.
The facility will be open to the public (much the same as it currently operates), and the agreement outlines the services and operations provided by the NHS, including the collection of impound fees set out in the Animal Control By-law. The agreement also acknowledges that the Humane Society is opposed to euthanizing animals and will instead provide veterinary care to the extent possible to save an animal’s life.
Residents in these communities can find out more about animal-care services and enforcement at the Northumberland Humane Society website.
The announcement describes the Northumberland Humane Society as “a community-minded organization governed by a volunteer board, and has a strong reputation as an animal welfare group.”
“The Northumberland Humane Society is very pleased to have reached this agreement with the communities in Port Hope, Hamilton and Alnwick-Haldimand,” board member Bob Hunter said in the press release.
“Going forward, this will eliminate the duplication of services, result in significant savings to the municipalities, and ensure the humane care of the animals for which NHS is well known.
“In addition, being able to re-locate and operate from the previous Municipal Animal Services location on Theatre Rd will enable the Humane Society to provide even better care, and, over time, expand and broaden the services provided to the community.
“We recognize the responsibility that we inherit with this agreement, and appreciate the confidence placed in our wonderful and hard-working employees and volunteers – our mandate is the welfare of the animals, and the community can be confident of their care.”
