Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Jan 24/03) - SPCA manager Linda Eccles wants to know where town administrators came up with the $200,000 figure for a dog pound.

Eccles, along with her husband, Greg, have operated the SPCA on a volunteer basis out of their Inuvik home for more than two years.

They care for strays, ship sick and injured animals south for medical treatment, send puppies out for adoption, and often euthanize dying animals in the hallway of their home.

The SPCA and Air North sponsors a veterinarian from Dawson City who comes to town four times a year. He performs basic surgeries, spays and neuters pets, and does general check-ups.

"And that's been a blessing for this area," she said.

But she believes that more needs to be done. Linda Eccles said the town is in desperate need of a suitable building to house the SPCA, a dog pound and a vet clinic.

Before Christmas, she asked town council to fund for a 1,000 square-foot building.

But she said she only asked for $83,000, not $200,000 as town administrators have identified in the town's 2003 interim budget.

The SPCA has raised $10,000 for the initiative and have requested funding from other sources as well. Eccles estimates the total cost of the facility will be just over $207,000.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but we asked for $83,000.

"And at that point in time they looked it over and they were going to let us know how much they would give us.

"But at the last meeting they came up with the $200,000 figure," said Eccles.

She said the current pound is not a healthy environment for any dog, whether they are stray, sick or healthy. Many pet owners who have had to collect their dogs from the pound discovered they had become ill because of unhealthy conditions, she said.

"I'm wondering now if they (council) are just going to give out $200,000 just to make their own little pound behind the mayor's office and we're not included. That's what we're worried about," she said.

Eccles offered some alternatives.

She plans to submit a proposal to the Inuvik Regional Hospital, asking them to donate a section of the old hospital to the SPCA. That could be used to house an SPCA, dog pound and vet clinic.

At the Jan. 20 council meeting, the mayor and councillors indicated they would like to hear opinions from all residents on the controversial dog pound issue.

A public meeting is expected to be scheduled sometime in the next few weeks.