The City of Kawartha Lakes and the local humane society will once again be working together for the sake of animals in the municipality.
During its regular council meeting on Wednesday (January 28), city council approved a staff report to authorize a single source award to the Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes for kennel and pound services.
In its report to council, city staff also asked council to endorse the option to renew the contract after the initial term, ending December 31, 2025, for an additional four one-year terms.
The report addresses reinstating the feral cat trap neuter return initiative and the domestic stray cat pilot project as well as finding a primary location for kennel and pound services for the city.
Council received the report during the meeting and passed its recommendations without discussion.
The report states that, back in March of 2024, the Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes cancelled its service agreement with the City of Kawartha Lakes, leaving the municipality with no kennel and pound services for animals found at large in the community.
“This decision was due to the unprecedented strain on their organization resulting from the drastic increase in the local pet population brought on by the pandemic,” according to an April 2024 media release from the city.
Municipal law enforcement staff, in conjunction with procurement services, attempted to find a primary animal shelter in the surrounding areas that would provide kennel and pound services on behalf of the municipality.
“At the time, the local area shelters were unable to commit to being the city’s primary shelter,” the report states. “This lack of commitment was due to their own business obligations. City access to other municipal shelters in border municipalities was extremely limited, as these locations supported their local municipal programs.”
Staff continued to search for a dedicated solution for pound services and dog and cat related programs and established base services with a few agencies, but not at a level to support all services.
According to the report, an unspecified “change of focus” at the Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes “resulted in new discussions regarding city animal services, leading the two parties to discuss an agreement to provide kennel and pound services.”
The feral cat trap neuter return and the domestic stray cat pilot project are also included in the agreement as individual items, with the pilot projects concluding on December 31, 2025.
“The Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes as an agency, with their current programs, is well-positioned to support municipal law enforcement services,” the report states. “As a dedicated contractor to support the city with services related to the dog and cat programs, an agreement is needed to move forward.”
“In addition to creating collaborative instructional materials for the public, the re-established partnership with the (Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes) along with internal training for municipal law enforcement and (humane society) personnel will strengthen agency-to-agency ties.”
The 2025 municipal law enforcement operating budget includes $90,500 for kennel and pound services, the feral cat trap neuter return, and the domestic stray cat pilot, according to the report.
