Latest News

Bodhi and Luke.

Photo by Karen Nicholson

The future is bright

By Eyal Lichtmann

Published 10:57 PST, Tue December 29, 2020

Last Updated: 2:13 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021

—

The City of Richmond has chosen to contract the BC SPCA to deliver animal care and control services in the city during the period of transition while the City Animal Shelter is redeveloped—beginning in a few weeks.

RAPS has been honoured to provide these services for the past 13 years. We made Richmond a “no-kill community” and, with the support of Richmond residents, have saved and improved the lives of thousands of animals. The BC SPCA has a constellation of shelters in the province and it makes perfect sense for them to manage the animals during this time. RAPS would have had to construct a new temporary facility.

However, there seems to be some confusion around the future. The city’s decision affects the Richmond Animal Shelter only. RAPS continues to operate Canada’s largest cat sanctuary, three thrift stores and the community-owned, not-for-profit RAPS Animal Hospital. We will continue to serve the people of Richmond, including school and community groups. We will foster animals in the community and advocate for animals and their people with all levels of government. Except for the Animal Shelter management, nothing will change.

Well, actually … that’s not true. We are growing. Because we have had a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of Richmond, we were limited in our ability to welcome animals to the shelter from outside the city. This is not the case at the cat sanctuary, where animals come to us from all over—especially from jurisdictions where they might have faced euthanasia. We are now aiming to open a RAPS Dog Sanctuary, so we can save dogs that are difficult to adopt and rehabilitate them in preparation for a forever home. After that, we plan to open our own animal shelter too—again founded on our no-kill promise.

We are reimagining animal care, innovating in ways that lead the sector. One crucial way we are doing this is by recognizing that ensuring the best for animals often demands that we help animals … and their people. In the past three years, we have provided almost $2 million in support to households in the community through the RAPS Animal Hospital. We are now caring for 10 times as many animals each year than we did five years ago.

RAPS has always been a Richmond-based organization, although we now serve the entire province. We believe that where an animal lives should not determine whether an animal lives. Unencumbered by a commitment to the city government, we will now be free to welcome animals no matter where they come from. That means we will be able to do more than ever. But all of our asserts and infrastructure are based in Richmond. We are Richmond proud.

Everything we have achieved in 25 years has been because of the support of animal-loving people who share our vision of a world where every animal has the love and care they want and deserve.

This is an exciting time of change—and it is a wonderful time to thank everyone in the Richmond community for everything you have done to help us save and improve the lives of animals.

Happy holidays. And may 2021 be our greatest year yet.

Eyal Lichtmann is the CEO and executive director of the Regional Animal Protection Society.