The City of Merritt is searching for Expressions of Interest (EOI) to provide the municipality with dog shelter services. The City’s current pound, used by bylaw and police to temporarily house dogs for a number of reasons, could be demolished as part of ongoing flood recovery and mitigation efforts.
The EOI released by the City states that its current dog shelter facility, located in the Public Works Yard on Coldwater Avenue, may need to be demolished as part of a diking plan amidst ongoing flood recovery infrastructure improvements. The City says that dogs are typically only sheltered at the pound for a few days, before being transported to nearby Princeton. With the current shelter’s future uncertain, a contracted replacement is being sought out.
“Historically, dogs that have been brought in by City Bylaw or RCMP have been sheltered temporarily at the City’s Public Works yard,” reads a statement on the City’s website.
“With planned infrastructure improvements, the City is looking at demolishing the current shelter building and is exploring options for a new service and/or location to provide temporary shelter for dogs.”
The City says the new shelter should be in the vicinity of Merritt, and be able to provide temporary to short-term shelter and care for dogs following Canadian Standards of Care in Animal Shelters guidelines, on behalf of the City Bylaw Department. The standard normal volume for the City’s shelter is one dog per month, but the new shelter must be able to accommodate four to six dogs at one time. The City also noted the ideal contractor will be able to provide one acre of land to exercise sheltered dogs.
The EOI also notes that the transportation of dogs to nearby Princeton may or may not be included in a potential dog shelter contract. The City is seeking a long-term arrangement with a possible dog shelter provider, and invites both private individuals and public organizations to express their interest.
“The City welcomes private organizations, non-profits, and societies to replace the current shelter within the vicinity of the City of Merritt,” adds the statement.For more information on the EOI, including response submission information, visit the City’s website at www.merritt.ca/dogshelter.
