In 2011, a group of local animal lovers came together to raise funds in support of a new and improved animal shelter.

Uxbridge and Scugog Townships need a secure place for our lost and stray animals to stay; a safe place for our municipal employees to work and a great space for our citizens to visit to find adoptable animals.

The existing shelter is very old and has many issues - it needed to be replaced 10 years ago and that is even more urgent now.

As an essential public service for Uxbridge and Scugog Townships - funded by our tax dollars - this replacement building is the responsibility of the Townships.

However, in order to help them build a better shelter in a shorter timeline a group of fundraisers decided to go directly to local residents, businesses and organizations to raise funds.

Now, a decade later, we are still waiting for the Townships to present a final plan & confirm a location for the shelter.

Over those years, hundreds of dedicated volunteers have dedicated tens of thousands of hours to this project - holding over 500 fundraisers and community events.

These dedicated community supporters and local sponsors have donated over $700,000 to the Township of Uxbridge for this shelter (approximately $130,000 over their expected contribution of $570,000).

Both the Township of Uxbridge and the Township of Scugog have also pledged $540,000 each towards the joint shelter build. The total budget for the build, based on the expected contribution of $570,000; was set at $1.65m. The Township of Uxbridge has since indicated that this budget is insufficient and should be raised.

The Townships are unwilling to commit additional funds for the build and declared the build delayed indefinitely.

When this decision was made by the Townships in mid-2019 we were very disappointed. However, it was our understanding that this was a moment to pause and regroup - to replan, revamp and restart.

Unfortunately, it appears that instead this decision represented a full stop.

We were recently sent the results of a Freedom of Information request filed by a fellow animal lover. The request was for “any communication that relates to the construction of a new animal shelter; significant additions or construction on the existing shelter; or potential alternatives to a local shelter that you have on record between December 3rd, 2018 and the current date of the performed search. Such communication would be, but is not limited to, committee/council meetings, staff reports, briefings, internal or public communications, inquiries, news and announcements.”

The request was filed in September 2020 and a response was finally provided in April of 2021.  The response showed ZERO communications - internal or external, briefing, meetings, staff reports, inquiries since November 2019. ZERO. Prior to that it only showed a handful of meetings with Pickering during 2019.

It appears that our elected officials have given up.

It is time to remind them that this new animal shelter is a priority for the residents of Uxbridge and Scugog.

It is time.

We have waited over a decade, the animals have waited even longer.

It is time to Build Our Uxbridge Scugog Animal Shelter!!