Quesnel SPCA pauses Cans for Critters due to safety concerns

QUESNEL — The Quesnel SPCA is pausing its Cans for Critters Program due to break-ins to buildings and vehicles, theft, and safety concerns.

The SPCA told CKPG Today it hopes to restart in spring 2022 with a safer system. The SPCA said in a social media post there has been extensive property damage, along with safety concerns such as broken glass in the parking lot and dog trails, and conflicts with alleged thieves.

Prior to the pause, the Quesnel SPCA collected donated unsorted bottles, which staff would sort them and return them to a recycling depot in Prince George during their spare time.

“Unfortunately, spare time is rare, and we simply can’t keep up with the volume,” Quesnel SPCA writes. “Which leads to us storing them… which brings us to the theft, vandalism, and safety issues.”