PAGE 24, MO ND AY.DECEMB ER 3Q. 1985.W IlITBY FR EE PRESS December... Towns assume animal control lBySUSAN I.ESJAK Free Press Staff The Whitby animal shelter on Thickson Rd. will remain open, despite the Ontario Humane Societys (OHS) decision flot to renew its contract for area animal control -services next year. Ross Isatten, chair- man of the Pickering, Ajax, Whitby Joint Animal Control Cern- mittee (the PAW com- mittee), announced Monday that the com- mittee will be taking over animal control for the three towns as of January 1, 1986. The humane societys con- tract expires Dec. 31, 1985. Batten assured repor- ters at Monday's press conference that the facility will operate without interruption and wiii be staffed by ex- perienced, well-trained personnel. Employees will be hired on a tem- porary basis untîl long- term alternatives for animal control can be explored, he said. While the committees plans for January in- clude only five shelter staff and two vans compared Le the 12 employees and four vans currentiy in use by 0HS1, Batten said he does not expeet any cuL- backs in services. In the past, he ex- plained, the humane seciety has offered two services: animal con- trel and humane service such as animal adop- tion. Oniy the former was contracted by Pickering, Ajax and Whitby. The provision of humane services is not regarded as a municipal responsibiity. While the PAW com- mittee has pledged to provîde "full" animal centrol service, it has not determined what if any humane services il will provide. Batten does not an- ticipate spending any more for animai control next year than the $164.400 it paîd out to the humane society for 1985. OHS president Tom Hughes dlaims that t>ere's ne way that the municipalities can offer the same services withot spending more meney. In a telephone interview Monday, he accused the PAW cem- mittee cf sacrificing the service in order toecut cests. "If they reduce the number of vehicies and the number cf bodies, it's obvicus that they can't provide the same animal control ser- vices. " Accerding te him, the society has been iosing money on its centract with the hree municipalities for the tast two years, and would have lest anether $50000 in '86 if it had agreed te the terms ci- fered by the PAW com- mittee. The society opted eut of ils agreement wîth the three municipalities when they refused te grant the 48 percent in- crasse in fee requested. While Hughes argued that such an increase was necessary te offset the seciety's increased operating and labor costs, Batten said that the 11.4 percent offered by the towns refiected these costs. Accerding te Hughes, the municipalittes con- tribute enly 50 percent cf the tetal ceet of run- ning the sheter. Indeed Hughes saîd OHS has been requesting similar in- creases frem ils clients acress the province and getting them. "'They (Pickering, Ajax, and~ Whitby) geL a free ride in 1984 and 1985 and they aren't geing te get it in 1986. They've geLte learn there is no Santa Claus." Despite Hughes' gloemy ferecasts, hewever, Whitby veterinarian Charles MacKay (aise an ad- viser te the PAW com- mittee) applauds the cemmittee's decision te goeit alone. "Theres ne way that the cemmittee mem- bers ceuld grant an in- crease of 48percent - I'd shoot them if they did," he said. F'urthermere MacKay said lie did net believe the change-over would resuit ini a cutback cf services, but if anything, an im- prevement in the overail shelter eperatien. "I hink we'Il have amere cooperative situation where we won't be sitting down once or Lwice a year to aIl the threats and un- certainties (experien- ced whle under con- tract with the 0H51. " (MacKay said that the society has routinely threatened to wis>hdraw ils services if it was not given more money. Hughes, however, has denied these charges.) While MacKay and the rest cf the veterinarian com- munity seem satisfied with the new arrangements for animal control, there is stili seme doubt as to what will happen te the six fulI-time and six part-ime sheiter em- ployees whose contract with0OHS ends Dec. 31. Despite MacKay's assurance that the municipalities have neyer had any com- plaints with the local staff, Batten is making ne promises te rehire old staff. And even if he were, with only f ive em- ployees to be hired, seven cf the OHS staff members will stili be out of a job. Could Whitby's mayor be getting tired of ribbon-cutting? Recently he shunned his customary stere-opening ritual in favor of "get- ting into" the merchandise. "If I'd known it wouid feel this good, I'd have put on a dress ages ago," he quipped to Garbo's co-owner Margaret Annan. The new Break St. S. boutique, owned by Margaret and her daughter Melissa features a wide array of women's apparel. And an eccentric clientele, it seems. Free Press Staff Photo