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Massive Spike in SPCA Payments by City Moves Ahead With No Debate

In the quiet of the "almost not mentioned," we softly note that the Niagara Falls City Council approved Mayor Paul Dyster's plan to spike payments for the one-year contract with the SPCA of Niagara. The city will pay the nonprofit $198,000 in 2014 for services that include dog control and the spaying and neutering of stray animals.

What falls into the category of "not really mentioned" is that last year the city paid $82,800. The new figure represents an increase of more than $116,000 and a more than doubling in fees for the SPCA, which the beleaguered people of Niagara Falls will pay.

No public discussion was held to see if this hike is truly warranted or justified by an organization that just shooed off 99 percent of its membership by raising the SPCA membership fees from $25 per year to $1,000.

Is Niagara Falls subsidizing the bizarre and controversial organization?

In any event, the fact that a bunch of Niagara Falls miscreants allow pit bulls to breed unconscionably and roam the city streets and permit cats they adopt to go astray and turn feral, are costing the people of Niagara Falls plenty.

There ought to be fines for these sterling people to help offset the bizarre notion that the people at large should pay for other people's pets.

I would not go so far as to explore controlling such people with leashes or sending them to the pound or neutering pet owners instead of their pets. I would like to explore whether this SPCA hike is justified and why no one was there to speak out about the huge hike in fees. Oh, I know, it's only taxpayer money. That doesn't count. But when an agency as controversial as the SPCA demands a huge boost, the council should host a thorough discussion on costs and services. Transparency demands it.

Why we do not really even know if the SPCA is a true no-kill, a low-kill or a high-kill shelter, or if they move their hard to place animals to other shelters to be killed.

All we know is they drove away all the people who would normally watch these things- the members- who supported it.

 

 

Niagara Falls Reporter - Publisher Frank Parlato Jr. www.niagarafallsreporter.com

Dec 17, 2013