In partnership with Guelph-Eramosa, Centre Wellington will retain the services of the Guelph Humane Society for animal control and shelter services.
During 2016 budget deliberations, Centre Wellington and Guelph-Eramosa councils supported a partnership with the Guelph Humane Society.
In an effort to reduce costs and share services, each township’s staff worked together to secure a joint agreement with the Guelph Humane Society.
Effective July 1, the Guelph Humane Society will initially be responding to emergencies and stray dog calls, moving to providing the full scope of services, including enforcement, starting July 11.
The service will cost a combined total of $165,502 for both townships.
Guelph-Eramosa will be responsible for 31.7 per cent of the costs ($52,464) because it is the smaller of the two townships, Guelph-Eramosa clerk Meaghen Reid told councillors at a special meeting of council on June 27.
Neither township is responsible for the other’s fees if either decide to terminate the agreement, she explained.
“We hope to achieve greater cost recovery through having this improved level of service, proactive education and enforcement practices as well as greater communication,” Reid said.
Those services will be provided Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday between 9am and 4pm and emergency services will be provided 24 hours per day, seven days a week.
Citizens with animal control concerns in Centre Wellington and Guelph-Eramosa are to call 519-824-3091.
“The level of professionalism, the expertise offered within the field of animal control and related legislation … and the provision of a facility that can provide for the care and well-being of animals during their impoundment make the Guelph Humane Society an ideal choice,” said Centre Wellington clerk Kerri O’Kane. “We are looking forward to working closely with the Guelph Humane Society to deliver quality animal control and shelter services.”
Guelph-Eramosa councillor Corey Woods said he was happy with the agreement.
“I was glad to see in the agreement that there was a five day holding period for strays,” he said. “So it does give people a chance that if something does go missing they have that five days to collect them and then I guess going forward we’ll just have to look at the cost of our dog tags.”
