INUVIK - Linda Eccles, the executive director of Inuvik's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says stray dogs at the municipal pound are being neglected and she won't stop until the town is charged with animal cruelty.

However, the Inuvik RCMP has decided not to lay charges after concluding its investigation into the matter last week.

Linda Eccles and her husband Greg Stromgren play with their dog Dempster outside their home last week. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photos

Mayor Derek Lindsay is dismissing the accusations, saying the town is "going above and beyond" the call of duty.

"We're not giving (the dogs) room service but we are feeding them," he said. "We provide ample water for them as well as adequate space."

On June 17, Eccles, who's also the volunteer animal cruelty officer for the Beaufort Delta region, visited the pound along with two Inuvik RCMP officers. When they arrived, she said the trio encountered a dwelling crowded with dogs living in unacceptable conditions. She took pictures of the animals surrounded by their own feces. One dog was chained to an oil tank and several water bowls were overturned.

She said the stench of ammonia was overwhelming.

"It was so strong that we had to go out several times because it was burning our eyes," she said.

"Some dogs were biting at the kennel. It was like a prison cell. It wasn't meant to house them for very long. You can imagine dogs living in those conditions for a long time."

RCMP Cpl. Sean Doornbos said the investigation into the matter included interviewing several people involved in the running of the town-operated pound, but he said there wasn't enough evidence to lay charges. He added the detachment will be keeping an eye on the pound to ensure it's kept up to standards.

Eccles said she's upset over how the case was handled by the police, given that two officers witnessed the state of the pound.

"I don't understand it. They were there," she said. "They saw the evidence and nothing has come of it."

However, she vows to continue her fight to see charges laid.

On June 23, town veterinarian Peter Krizan put down eight of the 10 dogs at the pound in order to make room for other animals. Lindsay said the other two will be put down soon. Ten dogs is the limit at the pound. The animals are held for a minimum of five days before being killed.

Several of those dogs could have been saved, said Eccles, if the town acted on its agreement with the Calgary Humane Society to send stray dogs to the organization where they would be adopted out.

Pamela Amos, Humane Society spokeswoman based in Calgary, said the organization would have helped if it was approached by the town.

But Lindsay said the town's agreement with Canadian North only allows for one dog to be shipped free of charge to Calgary a month, and the town can't afford the added transportation cost of $200 per animal.

He said the pound is looked after well by town employees, adding that the town plans to install a new ventilation system in the building next year. He said it was just a coincidence that Eccles found the pound in such state last month because at the time town officials were busy preparing for the Inuvik Petroleum Show.

Furthermore, he argued that Eccles' complaints are an attempt to get back at the town after her contract as Inuvik's animal control officer wasn't renewed last year.

She said that couldn't be further from the truth.

"This isn't about me," she said. "It's about the animals who are powerless here. Somebody should be standing up for them. That's what I intend to do."