City to Provide Update on APARC Transition This Week
File Photo - APARC Building
Animal loving residents have been concerned since the May 9 2025 announcement that the City of Medicine Hat was not renewing APARC’s contract to provide pound services and run a shelter. Managing Director of Public Services, Joseph Hutter, responded to the Medicine Hat Owl on Friday May 16 with the following -
Thank you for your questions. We are in the process of working through details related to the transition in operations of pound services, including consultation with APARC staff, to ensure the needs of the animals, employees and the public are appropriately addressed when the shift occurs in June. We expect to announce updated information next week, so in the meantime, your patience is much appreciated.
The Medicine Hat Owl spoke with Kelci Allard (daughter of Kelly) on May 12, 2025 who spoke about her experience with shelter operations when she was a Pre-Veterinary student working at the SPCA for two years. Kelci spoke about general shelter operations, she has never worked for APARC. Kelci did however work on the present APARC building in her occupation as a Red Seal Journeyman carpenter.
There are concerns over the City’s lack of planning.
The City of Medicine Hat has known since the contract was signed in 2022 that there was a possibility that the contract would not be renewed. The City has said that an RFP (Request For Proposal) would be issued in the coming weeks. The contract ends June 7 2025. They will need to post the RFP, allow a response time, consider all of the applications and then enter into a contract. The process could take months. This is an issue that many consider to be too important to rush.
Here are the Main concerns
Running a shelter involves far more than just being an animal lover. Shelter workers undergo a lot of necessary training.
Cross contamination People need to be trained in how to prevent cross contamination. Most animals at the shelter have no information as to their vaccination /health status. Kelci said she had to wait a year to be able to work with quarantined animals at the SPCA. Some diseases are transferable to humans as well, such as Rabies and Cat Scratch Fever.
Injuries It is very common for staff to get Injuries in the form of scratches and bites. Kelci received a scratch from a feral cat. Within 24 hours her hand was red, swollen and oozing pus; she was feeling quite nauseous. The ER treated her for Cat Scratch Fever with antibiotics; she was on light duties for a week. Other shelter workers have received serious bites as well as people fostering feral momma cats. One person was unable to use their dominant hand for weeks.
Staffing - a shelter will typically have 4-5 day staff people - cat adoption, dog adoption, other critters, isolation, in addition to support staff (foster care), and Animal Health Technicians (AHTs). In the evenings, there are typically two people on duty. There is also the issue of vaccinations for staff who will be in contact with feral animals, most notably, rabies. Vaccines are administered in two shots, two weeks apart. A titre test is done to see if there is a need for a 3rd shot. These shots are paid for by the employer and are about $250 for each dose - about $500- $750pp.
Experience With Various Animals - Shelters handle more than just cats and dogs. They handle rodents (mice, gerbils, guinea pigs, chinchillas) reptiles (lizards, iguanas, chameleons, turtles, snakes), birds and rabbits. There has even been a pot bellied pig taken into custody by a local shelter.
Fostering Program - Someone needs to be administering this program which involves
approving applications
a home visit to make sure the foster home is suitable
matching the foster homes with the right animals
making sure the existing pet(s) in the foster homes are vaccinated and in good health before placing a foster in them
keeping in touch with the foster homes
arranging for
- vet care
- food
- litter
- other supplies
Adoption Services - Again, experience is needed for this. There is an adoption process to make sure the adopter will provide a proper home for the animal.
Intake of animals; reuniting with the owners - There has been an issue with intake of animals at APARC; animals have been staying in quarantine for as long as 6 weeks while they await vetting. Being in quarantine means that the animals are confined to their cages, very little socialization is possible making them less adoptable. Reuniting with owners means you must make sure the person can provide proof of ownership. Owners can be very upset and angry.
Prevention of Unwanted Births
APARC has been allowing young animals to be adopted without being altered (spayed/neutered) as long as the adopting family promises to get them altered at a later date. This does free up shelter space but unless this is followed up on, there will be more unwanted cats/dogs. People might have good intentions but things can go sideways and they may not be able to afford the surgery.
The APARC website says
All adoptable cats and dogs over the age of 6 months will come spayed or neutered, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped. All adoptable kittens and puppies under the age of 6 months come with all allowable vaccines and a microchip. Spaying and neutering will be at the cost of the adopter with a $50 rebate provided upon presentation of spay/neuter certificate.
The lowest adoption fee seems to be $100. When you include a spay which can cost at least $200, a $50 rebate seems little incentive to get it done.
As of the time of publication
3/7 of the adoptable dogs on the APARC website are unaltered.
7/25 of the adoptable cats on the APARC website are unaltered.
That means that there are 10 unaltered animals available to adopt which can make more babies.
(All of the adoptable pets at the SPCA are altered. )
SPCA offers a low cost spay/neuter on a sliding scale. Apply here.
APARC offers low cost spay/neuter to low income families. Apply here
“Free” animals are very costly. Adopting an altered shelter animal is a bargain. The surgery, the vaccinations, and the vet care will cost far more than the adoption fee. There is the bonus of no unwanted babies as well, avoiding the tomcats spraying / the queens yowling for mates at 3am. Altered animals are less aggressive, no raging hormones. You will pay a lower license fee as well.
Lost/ Found Pets
In the meantime, if you have lost/found a pet, get the word out on social media. People often post found pets in Facebook groups in order to avoid the animal being impounded. If your pet is impounded, you will face fines, fees for the care and feeding of your pet and you will have to buy a license (yes, cats too).
It is a good idea to get your pet microchipped, it can mean getting your family member back in a timely manner. Please make sure you keep the information updated - if you change your contact info, they may not be able to reach you.
Photo credit of the fosters below - Kelly Allard
