The Greater Moncton SPCA may have to wait a little longer before a new shelter becomes a reality.
They were told on Friday, that their request for major grant funding from City of Moncton was not approved for this year…
Executive Director Dave Rogers says he was disappointed at first, but he understands the process, “Sometimes it is hard to hear that funding may not be coming right away, or it may take longer or there’s going to be delays. This process is not without its hiccups, it comes with its ups and downs. But we have a lot of supporters in the Greater Moncton area, that has become quite evident.”
Rogers says they are working with a variety of stakeholders on a fundraising plan and they hope to have more to announce in the coming months, We may be able to stay on schedule, or we may be a little delayed, but it is still our dream, and we are not going to give that up.”
Their proposed shelter comes with a pricetag of $5.8 million.
Meantime, Moncton City Councillor Paul Pellerin says this may not be a done deal just yet, and there is still a chance the Greater Moncton SPCA may see some funding for its new shelter.
“It should have been considered in the Capital Works budget. It is for a new facility that the SPCA desperately needs. Having said that, since Friday, it has come to my attention that we may be discussing it in the upcoming operational budget to give it some consideration, but at this point we don’t know what that consideration will be. As a Council, all eleven of us are going to have to debate the merits of it, which there are some great merits to it. At that time, council can decide, if it chooses, to move forward on some sort of funding for the building, ” Pellerin adds.
The Greater Moncton SPCA says the current shelter was built in 1981 and is no longer equipped to provide a healthy environment for the animals. Pellerin says, “Just the fact that they only asking for five per cent of the cost of the building, I’m convinced, that moving forward, all of the operational funding that we give them, there will be some cost savings, especially with a building that is fully insulated.”
