Animal welfare groups provide benefit

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/07/2011 (5446 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As president of the Parkland Humane Society serving Dauphin and the Parkland region, I have witnessed firsthand the hours that have been spent on valuable programs, fundraising and in the past year working on shelter plans.

This number is staggering. As volunteers, individuals have given their time to help animals in need. In 2010 alone, 210 animals in Dauphin and the Parkland were rescued and given a second chance at life.

Unfortunately, a charity can only do so much on its own. Without help in the form of stable funding from the provincial government the future for animal welfare groups looks bleak.

Parkland Humane Society has reached out for help to the provincial government numerous of times with no encouragement or help offered.

In November 2010 a letter was sent to Stan Struthers, MLA for Dauphin-Roblin regarding legislation for creation of an animal assessment classification.

The matter was referred to Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux.

Lemieux, in response, denied Parkland Humane Society’s request, stating that under the Municipal Assessment Act animal welfare groups fall under the same category as a commercial property (business).

Lemieux stated that property tax exemptions are historical and long standing so animal welfare groups cannot be exempt from paying tax.

Exemptions are also limited to those properties that provide a broad public benefit, including for example schools, personal care homes and churches.

My question is: What about animal welfare groups providing a broad public benefit? PHS alone has many programs that benefit the residents of the City of Dauphin.

An example of this is the hospital visitation program, adoption, spay and neuter and the education program.

Most disturbing was the lack of response to letters sent in March 2011 to Premier Greg Selinger and Lemieux.

In April 2011 another letter was sent to Lemieux. As of June 2011, the provincial government has not even had the courtesy to reply.

Due to the Municipal Act and classification as a business, Parkland Humane Society’s assessment for land and proposed shelter was given at $13,000 annually.

One half of this would be school taxes and the other half City of Dauphin taxes.

This tax assessment was a shock to the board of Parkland Humane Society. Expecting an animal welfare group to pay school taxes is beyond comprehension.

The charity has had to regroup and is looking at different options. With the apparent lack of interest from Premier Selinger, Lemieux or Struthers, Parkland Humane Society may have to do what they have always had to do and that is not rely on the provincial government for any support.

Hopefully this will not be the case and the provincial government will realize the importance of animal welfare groups and first help to build shelters and then operate them.

Volunteers are not paid but government representatives are.

If you are individual that cares about the welfare of animals and feel that the Municipal Act should be changed please contact Ron Lemieux, Minister of Local Government, Box 301, Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 0V8.

DENISE PENROSE

President, Parkland

Humane Society