Sudbury city council to take over pound services for one year

Sudbury city council has agreed to start a one-year pilot project for city-operated pound and shelter services when its contract with its current service provider ends this fall.

It also decided to move the location of the service from Azilda to a former pet boarding facility on Kari Road in Wahnapitae. 

"Staff has worked very hard in identifying a location," councillor Joscelyne Landry-Altmann said. 

"I believe the commitment is there to make this work."

The decision came down to a nine to four vote. 

It officially ends a bidding process that began in May for animal control services.

Two requests for proposals were received.

One came from the city's current contractor, Rainbow District Animal Control and Shelter Services, but it was too high with an annual delivery fee at $825,000.

The other proposal was too brief and did not meet all of the requirements in the process. It was submitted by Pet Save, a local rescue and adoption service. 

Councillor 'convinced' city will have to pay more

Some councillors wanted to open another bidding process with different terms and expectations – citing cost concerns, and the long travel distance to the new pound and shelter.

"I'm not going to support something that I'm convinced is going to be quite a bit more expensive than is on paper," councillor Robert Kirwan said. 

Kirwan brought up a consultant's report that was done for the city and concluded it would be cost-prohibitive for the city to bring the pound in-house. 

But a report by city staff tells a different story.

It shows if a new contract is awarded, the cost increase will be 244 per cent since 2001.

"That's astronomical," councillor Rene Lapierre said.

"I don't know any other business that would keep providing that service."

The new space for the city's pound and shelter will cost the city $4,000 per month to lease, excluding utilities and maintenance.

The facility will keep a low kill philosophy, which means efforts will be made to reunite animals with their owners or foster and adopt them following a three day redemption period. 

This issue of who operates pound and shelter services will be reviewed next year when staff present long-term options before the city's one-year pilot project ends.