No progress in conflict with Angel’s Animal Rescue shelter as neighbours video dog noise

NEWS/ REGION — The standoff between the Angel’s Animal Rescue shelter near Merritt and neighbours across the river isn’t relaxing any.

Noise from barking dogs at the shelter has been an issue for several years.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District directors in whose territories the shelter and its neighbours are located said today there’s no resolution in sight and the only answer may be an anti-noise bylaw the board is considering.

Randy Murray, the director for Lower Nicola (Area M), which lies across the Nicola River from the shelter, said he’s received 50 videos from irate neighbours about what he called “uncontrolled barking” coming from the shelter.

“In many cases it’s day and night over the weekend,” Murray said, adding that property values in the area are “plummeting” and friction continues.

“Just so you know I’m inundated with information,” he told the TNRD board today.

Norma Cannon, one of the neighbours, attended today’s meeting and confirmed there’s been no progress in resolving the dispute. She said she and another neighbour attended the meeting because they thought shelter operator Judanna Dawn-Caros might be there to talk about the situation.

Dawn-Caros told the Armchair Mayor News a month ago that the complaining neighbours are a “negative bunch” and aren’t interested in discussing the issue with her.

But TNRD director Herb Graham, whose electoral area N is on the side of the river where the shelter is located, said after todays meeting attempts at mediation have failed partly because of concerns about who will pay the cost of a mediator.

“There’s too many hard feelings now,” he said.

Graham said the anti-noise bylaw now being considering by the board looks like the only thing that might resolve the issue. “We need something like that — let’s be considerate of our neighbours.”

Dawn-Caros has said she intends to attend a board meeting before the bylaw comes forward. A recommendation from staff on possible contents of the bylaw isn’t expected for a few more weeks.