YELLOWKNIFE - The NWT may lose its only veterinary clinic if City Hall doesn't find land to build a new clinic, Dr. Tom Pisz and his daughter warned city council Monday night.

"We're desperate," said Emilia Pisz.

"If the city does not find us land to build a new clinic then my dad will have to move his practice to Edmonton."

Emilee Shermet, an employee at Great Slave Animal Hospital, is worried what will happen to strays animals if the city doesn't find land for a new animal hospital. - Peter Crnogorac/NNSL photo

As it stands now, Dr. Pisz owns and operates the only veterinary clinic in Yellowknife and the NWT - the Great Slave Animal Hospital at 129 Kam Lake Road.

He has leased the property at this location for the last 20 years, but says the lease expires in June.

"The building is falling apart," he said. "It's very small, and we just can't operate the way we've been doing there any more."

At Monday's council meeting, father and daughter made a plea to council to lease or sell them land at Rocking Horse Ranch, near Pisz's horse stables and the Yellowknife Golf Course on Highway 3.

This property is on Commissioner's land, which is owned by the territorial government.

The city recently made a request to buy the land.

Dr. Pisz is proposing to build a privately-run clinic that he estimates will cost about $1 million.

He wants to begin construction at first thaw.

He said it will have, among other things: a laboratory, pharmacy, examination rooms, operating rooms and post-operating room recovery area, a large animal operating room, delivery room, a pet food store, a crematorium and morgue, and dog kennels so they can house the city pound.

Council members asked the Pisz's questions for about half-an-hour, with many saying they were generally concerned because they own pets.

However, council, as a whole, said the veterinarian's demand for the property may be premature because the city doesn't own it yet.

"This land is under the control of the GNWT and there has been previous interest in it," said Jeffrey Humble, director of development and planning for the city.

"Based on those factors, this parcel would not be available at this time."

Emilia Pisz said she was a little frustrated by what she viewed as a lack of interest or concern by the city's land department towards what she called a crisis.

She said her family sent a cheque to the city in an effort to secure the land.

"We seem to have been blown off by the lands division," she said. "We sent them a cheque for $1,000 for our proposal and zoning recently, and they sent it right back to us with no explanation."

Coun. Bob Brooks questioned why the city would send back the money. "From my knowledge, I understand there's no official decision on the Commissioner's land," he said. "So maybe it's a little premature to be sending the cheque back."

Tom Pisz noted that the SPCA pound is located at his animal hospital, and if he were forced to shut his practice down, he didn't know what would happen with the pound.

Coun. Kevin Kennedy asked why they wanted the Rocking Horse Ranch and not some other piece of land.

"There's no other land available to us," said Dr. Pisz. "The only other is in Kam Lake, but I can't see building a facility like this there."

Coun. David Wind said the problem the Pisz's brought to council shows just how desperate the city's land crunch has become.

"This is another indication the city is very tight with the amount of land available," he said. "It's that much more important to put pressure on the NWT for land transfers."