The Town of Hawkesbury has a new place to send lost dogs picked up by municipal bylaw enforcement officers. Their new destination is Possumplace Kennels in East Hawkesbury.
On May 8, Hawkesbury council adopted a bylaw authorizing the contract with Possumplace. Municipalities are required by law to have a kennel and Hawkesbury had used Champlain Township’s municipal facility for many years. However, in November 2022, Champlain informed Hawkesbury that the town would no longer be permitted to use the township’s kennel. The expense of obtaining a new facility was included in the 2023 town budget. The alternative was for Hawkesbury to build and operate its own facility at a cost of about $50,000 which would cost about $25,000 per year to operate.
According to a municipal report, the Town of Hawkesbury requires kennel services about 15 times per year. Upon further inquiry with the town, The Review learned 12 dogs from Hawkesbury were taken to a kennel in 2022, and only two have had to be taken to a kennel in 2023. The average amount of time a dog is kept in the kennel after bylaw enforcement officers find it is 48 hours. Dogs are generally reunited with their owners quickly because the owners have been looking for their pets.
