BC SPCA says dog kennel deal with City of Quesnel won’t be renewed at end of year

QUESNEL — The B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says it won’t be operating the City of Quesnel’s animal control pound by the end of this year.

The SPCA says its facility in the city will no longer provide kennelling services once its agreements expire, but it will still investigate cruelty cases, accept animals and provide adoption and fostering services.

Ashley Fontain-Ost, an SPCA regional manager in the Cariboo and North, says Quesnel’s animal centre has seen a “significant increase” in the number of animals coming through and needing care over the past few years.

She says the increase is due to both emergencies and the society’s cruelty investigations, putting a strain on the facility’s capacity and on staff members.

Fontaine-Ost says it was a difficult decision not to renew its kennelling deal with the city, but it was done to keep room for the “most vulnerable animals” that come into its care.

She says the SPCA’s priority is to support a transition to a new service provider and ensure no animals are affected by service “gaps” during the change.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 11, 2025.