Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services
Inuvik (Jun 15/01) - The Inuvik SPCA is a go.
Linda Eccles and her husband, Greg Stromgren, received approval last week for their proposal to set up a local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Within two months members will need to hold an annual general meeting and elect a board of directors. But Eccles and Stromgren are already hard at work raising awareness, and funds.
"We're no extremists or granola eaters or tree sitters or anything," Stromgren said.
"We noticed there's a problem in the Inuvik area for animals, and dogs especially, and we'd just like to help people out with that, and ensure the animals are well cared for."
The problem posed by loose dogs in the community has come up often this year at town council meetings. Jerry Veltman, senior administrative officer for the town, said that animal control (including catching loose dogs and housing them in the pound) costs the town roughly $2,000 a month.
Eccles and Stromgren have talked to the town about perhaps taking over operation of the pound, but Mayor Peter Clarkson said it's too early to say whether this will happen.
"We'd have to see what they have for space or what service they can provide," Clarkson said.
"Lots of other municipalities have allowed humane shelters to handle that end of things, which we would be open to."
Eccles and Stromgren were involved in a SPCA in Williams Lake, B.C. They moved to Inuvik this January and estimate that running a shelter here could cost roughly $80,000 to $100,000.
They said they'd like eventually to either build a shelter, or renovate an existing building for their purposes.
The couple also plan to put on programs in the schools to educate children about the importance of spaying and neutering pets, as well as taking proper care of animals.
Eccles and Stromgren are forming fund-raising activities, and will have a table set up during Midnight Madness. This coming weekend SPCA members are to pick up litter within a zone on behalf of the town.
Eccles and Stromgren are also looking for donations, and volunteers.
