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Sooke council renews animal control contract with CRD

If your dog vanishes into thin air on a stormy night in Sooke, who are you going to call?
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CRD animal control officer Tony Dobos. Sooke council decided to renew the contract for another five years with the Capitol Regional District Animal Control Services. (Photo contributed by CRD)

If your dog vanishes into thin air on a stormy night in Sooke, who are you going to call?

Sooke council decided to renew the contract for another five years with the Capitol Regional District Animal Control Services.

Sooke resident Jeff Bateman suggested at the regular council meeting on Aug.13 that Sooke look in to getting its own animal control services, but Mayor Maja Tait argued that there is not enough of a demand yet.

“The CRD provides a good service to Sooke, and it would be expensive to have our own,” said Tait.

She explained that in order for Sooke to have its own service, the District would have to hire people to work seven days a week, train employees, buy one or more special vehicles, have a shelter, find a space to put it, and so forth.

“With increased needs for police, fire, and other services, I just don’t see having our own animal control services as feasible right now, or at the top of the priority list,” said Tait. “It might be a possibility in the future, as the community grows and the demand increases, but right now I think it would be too costly.”