WAS LONG TRAIN BLAST A MESSAGE?
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BILLS COME DUE AT BC HYDRO
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FEES FOR SMART METER HOLDOUTS
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WEDNESDAY
SEPTEMBER 18 2013 www.newwestnewsleader.com
Local winemakers prepared their grapes with a crush party in Queensborough last weekend. See Page A3
Coal port impact probed But local enviro group says it’s just optics Mario Bartel
photo@newwestnewsleader.com
MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER
James Short cuddles Dudley, one of three terrier cross dogs still to be adopted after 13 were abandoned at the New Westminster animal shelter in the middle of the night two weeks ago.
Abandoned dogs find new homes Mario Bartel
photo@newwestnewsleader.com
All but three of 13 dogs abandoned at the New Westminster animal shelter early Friday morning two weeks ago have been adopted to new homes. James Short, an animal control officer at the shelter, said there was “a lot of public interest” after the dogs appeared at their doorstep at the start of the Labour Day weekend. At first staff thought they were dealing with a dozen dogs, but one had escaped its cage and was found later wandering nearby.
They were amongst two mass cleanup. “We couldn’t just let them abandonments that night, as go out in the yard.” another 38 dogs were dropped at an A donation of training pads from animal shelter in a local business Richmond. made that job easier. Short said while The dogs, aged all the small terrier James Short eight months to It’s pretty crazy how quickly about five years, crosses appeared they came in and how quickly in good health, the they went out. required vet sudden appearance checkups and a full of so many dogs strained the regime of vaccinations. They also resources of the small shelter got names, so staff could identify located in Queensborough. them. One, Dudley, appears to be “Staffing was a challenge,” he blind, with cataracts in both eyes. said, adding none of the dogs were Short said the dogs were friendly housebroken so required constant and socialized with each other when
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they arrived, so they could be put three to a kennel as they awaited adoption. And while the initial flurry of interest has subsided, Short is optimistic the remaining dogs will have new homes soon. “It’s pretty crazy how quickly they came in and how quickly they went out.” Another dog was picked up by her new owners Saturday afternoon. Short said shelter staff are still looking into where the dogs came from, but as they weren’t abused and seemed well cared for, “it’s not a police matter.”
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A decision by Port Metro Vancouver to require Fraser Surrey Docks to conduct a full environmental impact assessment before it can proceed with a new coal export terminal is getting a cool response from the project’s opponents across the Fraser River in New Westminster. Andrew Murray of New Westminster Environmental Partners said the assessment of the proposed terminal which will transfer trainloads of thermal coal from the U.S. to barges for shipment to Texada Island “lacks legitimacy” because it doesn’t allow for public input. The president of Surrey Fraser Docks, Jeff Scott, said consulting firm SNCLavalin will carry out the assessment and have it completed by the end of September. That short timeline is also problematic, said Murray. “It’s Port Metro Vancouver responding to the public pressure and giving the optics of due diligence,” said Murray. see ‘THIS IS FAR’, A3